business plan for vermicompost

Vermicompost Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Solomon O'Chucks

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Vermicompost business is a business that revolves around the production and sale of vermicompost, which is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer produced through the process of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is the decomposition of organic materials, such as food waste, agricultural residues, and animal manure, using earthworms (specifically, red wigglers or Eisenia fetida) and microorganisms.

The vermicompost business primarily belongs to the organic fertilizer or soil amendment industry and available data shows that the organic fertilizers market was valued at $8.3 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $15.9 billion by 2030. The market is projected to experience growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9 percent from 2021 to 2030.

Steps on How to Write a Vermicompost Business Plan

Executive summary.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. is a Des Moines, Iowa-based leading vermicompost company dedicated to providing sustainable organic fertilizers for agricultural and horticultural industries.

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We specialize in harnessing the power of earthworms to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich vermicompost, offering a natural and eco-friendly alternative to chemical-based fertilizers. Our innovative and efficient vermicomposting process ensures high-quality, nutrient-dense compost that improves soil health, enhances crop yields, and promotes environmental sustainability.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices and organic fertilizers.

With our high-quality vermicompost products, commitment to environmental sustainability, and comprehensive customer support, we are poised to become a leader in the vermicomposting industry. Levi Isaac is the founder and CEO of Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc.

Company Profile

A. our products and services.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. utilizes advanced vermicomposting techniques to produce high-quality vermicompost from organic waste materials. Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure optimal conditions for earthworms to efficiently decompose organic matter, resulting in nutrient-rich compost that is free from harmful pathogens and weed seeds.

We offer a range of vermicompost products tailored to meet the specific needs of different crops and soil types. Additionally, we provide customized consulting services to assist farmers and gardeners in implementing vermicompost effectively and maximizing its benefits.

b. Nature of the Business

Basically, our vermicompost company will operate with both a business-to-consumer business model and a business-to-business business model for retailers and distributors.

c. The Industry

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will operate in the organic fertilizer or soil amendment industry.

d. Mission Statement

Our mission is to revolutionize the agricultural industry by providing sustainable and organic vermicompost solutions. We are dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship, improving soil health, and empowering farmers to cultivate healthy, nutrient-rich crops.

Through our innovative vermicomposting process, we aim to enhance the long-term sustainability of farming practices while contributing to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.

e. Vision Statement

Our vision is to be the premier global provider of vermicompost solutions, setting the standard for sustainable and organic farming practices. We envision a world where chemical-free agriculture is the norm, where farmers prioritize soil health, and where communities thrive on the benefits of nutrient-dense, environmentally friendly crops.

f. Our Tagline (Slogan)

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. – We Lead, Others Follow!

g. Legal Structure of the Business (LLC, C Corp, S Corp, LLP)

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will be formed as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). The reason why we are forming an LLC is to protect our personal assets by limiting the liability to the resources of the business itself. The LLC will protect our CEO’s personal assets from claims against the business, including lawsuits.

h. Our Organizational Structure

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
• Production Manager
• Quality Control Officer
• Accountant (Cashier)
• Salesgirls and Salesboys
• Delivery Truck Drivers

i. Ownership/Shareholder Structure and Board Members

• Levi Isaac (Owner and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer) 52 Percent Shares
• Julius Abner (Board Member) 18 Percent Shares
• Abraham Samson (Board Member) 10 Percent Shares
• Hannah Dennis (Board Member) 10 Percent Shares
• Lot Seth (Board Member and Secretary) 10 Percent Shares.

SWOT Analysis

A. strength.

• Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. produces premium-grade vermicompost using advanced techniques, ensuring consistent quality and nutrient-rich compost.
• Our vermicomposting process reduces organic waste, mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes environmental sustainability.
• Our facilities are designed for scalability, enabling us to meet increasing market demands efficiently.
• We invest in ongoing research and development to enhance our vermicomposting techniques, develop new products, and stay ahead of industry trends.
• We provide comprehensive customer support, including training, consultation, and ongoing guidance, to assist farmers in successfully integrating vermicompost into their agricultural practices.

b. Weakness

• Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. may face challenges in establishing brand awareness and recognition in a competitive market.
• The establishment and scaling of production facilities may require significant upfront capital investment.
• The availability and consistency of organic waste materials for vermicomposting may present a potential weakness.

c. Opportunities

• The increasing consumer preference for organic and sustainable agricultural practices presents a significant market opportunity for vermicompost companies.
• Government policies promoting sustainable farming practices and organic fertilizers can provide favorable conditions for business growth.
• Forming strategic alliances with agricultural cooperatives, organic food producers, and nurseries can expand market reach and distribution networks.

i. How Big is the Industry?

The Vermicompost industry is indeed a big industry and this can be supported by the fact that the organic fertilizers market was valued at $8.3 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $15.9 billion by 2030. The market is projected to experience growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9 percent from 2021 to 2030.

ii. Is the Industry Growing or Declining?

Yes, the organic fertilizer industry is growing. As a matter of fact, the global demand for organic and sustainable agricultural practices has been steadily increasing in recent years, driven by growing consumer awareness of the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on human health and the environment.

With the mounting concerns over soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, the need for environmentally friendly fertilizers like vermicompost has become paramount.

iii. What are the Future Trends in the Industry?

The vermicompost industry is poised for continued growth and evolution as the demand for sustainable and organic agricultural practices increases. As consumer awareness and concern about the environmental and health impacts of chemical-based fertilizers grow, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for organic food.

Vermicompost, being a natural and organic fertilizer, aligns well with this trend and is expected to experience a surge in demand.

With the rise of urban farming and rooftop gardens, vermicompost offers a valuable solution for maximizing limited space and improving soil fertility in urban environments. The use of vermicompost in urban agriculture is expected to increase as more people embrace sustainable and self-sufficient food production.

While the use of vermicompost has traditionally been more prevalent in small-scale and organic farming, there is a growing interest in its application in commercial agriculture. Large-scale farms are recognizing the benefits of vermicompost, such as improved soil structure, enhanced nutrient availability, and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Continued research and development in vermicomposting techniques and technologies are likely to result in improved efficiency, scalability, and quality control. Innovations such as automated vermicompost systems and optimized vermicompost production methods may streamline operations and make vermicompost more accessible and cost-effective.

Vermicompost can synergize with other sustainable practices, such as aquaponics and hydroponics. The integration of vermicompost in these systems enhances nutrient cycling, promotes healthier plant growth, and reduces the need for external inputs, leading to more sustainable and efficient agricultural systems.

iv. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?

No, there are no existing niches when it comes to the vermicompost business because the vermicompost business is a niche idea in the organic fertilizer or soil amendment industry.

v. Can You Sell a Franchise of Your Business in the Future?

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. has plans to sell franchises in the nearest future and we will target major cities with thriving farming markets in the United States of America.

• The vermicompost industry is becoming more competitive, with the presence of established companies and new entrants offering similar products.
• Price competition from chemical-based fertilizers may pose a threat to the market adoption of vermicompost.
• Rapid advancements in agricultural technologies may introduce alternative solutions that could potentially disrupt the demand for vermicompost.

i. Who are the Major Competitors?

• Worms Way Inc.
• Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm
• Red Worm Composting
• Happy D Ranch Worm Farm
• Texas Red Worms
• GreenTree Ag
• Urban Worm Company
• Michigan SoilWorks
• Oregon Soil Corporation
• VermiCorp Organics
• Wiggle Worm Soil Builder
• Sonoma Valley Worm Farm
• Worm’s Way Vermiculture
• Georgia Worm Company
• Nature’s Little Recyclers
• Pacific Worm Company
• Earthworm Technologies
• Sustainable Agriculture Technologies, Inc.

ii. Is There a Franchise for Vermicompost Business?

Yes, there are franchise opportunities for the vermicompost business and they are:

• The Grounds Guys
• Weed Man USA
• Lawn Doctor
• Spring-Green Lawn Care
• NaturaLawn of America
• The Organic Landscape Company
• The Compost Crew
• Go Green Organics
• GroGreen Organics
• City Compost
• Mulch Manufacturing Inc.
• Green Life Soil Co.

iii. Are There Policies, Regulations, or Zoning Laws Affecting Vermicompost Business?

In the United States, policies, regulations, and zoning laws can vary at the federal, state, and local levels. While there may not be specific policies or regulations that solely target vermicompost businesses, several general regulations and requirements may apply.

For example, some regulations usually focus on factors such as odor control, site location, setbacks from sensitive areas, waste management permits, and environmental impact assessments.

Local zoning laws and land use regulations may also have an impact on vermicompost businesses. Zoning regulations determine how the land can be used in different areas, and they may restrict or regulate composting activities based on factors such as noise, odor, and proximity to residential or sensitive areas.

Marketing Plan

A. who is your target audience, i. age range.

Our target market comprises people 18 years and above.

ii. Level of Educational

We don’t have any restriction on the level of education of those to who we are ready to sell our vermicompost.

iii. Income Level

There is no cap on the income level of those who are looking to sell vermicompost products.

iv. Ethnicity

There is no restriction regarding the ethnicity of the people that will purchase vermicompost products from us.

v. Language

There is no restriction regarding the language spoken by the people that will purchase vermicompost products from us.

vi. Geographical Location

Anybody from any geographical location is free to purchase vermicompost products from us.

vii. Lifestyle

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will not restrict any customer from purchasing vermicompost products from us based on their lifestyle, culture, or race.

b. Advertising and Promotion Strategies

• Build Relationships with players in the agriculture industry.
• Deliberately Brand All Our Vans and Delivery Bikes.
• Develop Your Business Directory Profiles
• Tap Into Text Marketing
• Make Use of Billboards.
• Share Your Events in Local Groups and Pages.
• Turn Your Social Media Channels into a Resource

i. Traditional Marketing Strategies

• Marketing through Direct Mail.
• Print Media Marketing – Newspapers & Magazines.
• Broadcast Marketing -Television & Radio Channels.
• Out-of-Home” marketing (OOH marketing) – Public Transits like Buses and Trains, Billboards, Street shows, and Cabs.
• Leverage direct sales, direct mail (postcards, brochures, letters, fliers), tradeshows, print advertising (magazines, newspapers, coupon books, billboards), referral (also known as word-of-mouth marketing), radio, and television.

ii. Digital Marketing Strategies

• Social Media Marketing Platforms.
• Influencer Marketing.
• Email Marketing.
• Content Marketing.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing.
• Affiliate Marketing
• Mobile Marketing.

iii. Social Media Marketing Plan

• Start using chatbots.
• Create a personalized experience for our customers.
• Create an efficient content marketing strategy.
• Create a community for our target market and potential target market.
• Gear up our profiles with a diverse content strategy.
• Use brand advocates.
• Create profiles on relevant social media channels.
• Run cross-channel campaigns.

c. Pricing Strategy

When working out our pricing strategy, Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will make sure it covers profits, insurance, premium, license, and economy or value and full package. In all our pricing strategy will reflect;

• Penetration Pricing
• Cost-Based Pricing
• Value-Based Pricing
• Competition-Based Pricing.

Sales and Distribution Plan

A. sales channels.

Our channel sales strategy will involve using partners and third parties—such as referral partners, affiliate partners, strategic alliances in the agriculture industry, and freelancers to help refer customers to us.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will also leverage the 4 Ps of marketing which is the place, price, product, and promotion. By carefully integrating all these marketing strategies into a marketing mix, we can have a visible, in-demand product that is competitively priced and promoted to our customers.

b. Inventory Strategy

The fact that we will need raw materials for producing vermicompost means that Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will operate an inventory strategy that is based on a day-to-day methodology for ordering, maintaining, and processing items in our warehouse.

We will prioritize freshness, quality, and timely availability while minimizing waste and optimizing costs. Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will make sure we work with “Just-in-time (JIT) inventory” – (JIT involves holding as little stock as possible, negating the costs and risks involved with keeping a large amount of stock on hand.)

c. Payment Options for Customers

Here are the payment options that Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will make available to her clients;

• Bank Transfers
• Credit or Debit Card
• Electronic Payment Systems such as PayPal or Venmo

d. Return Policy, Incentives, and Guarantees

At Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc., our customers are our top priority hence if you receive a vermicompost product that is different from your receipt, we will sincerely apologize and take the product back.

We will provide a satisfaction guarantee that assures customers that if they are not satisfied with the product’s performance, they can receive a refund or exchange. We will also assure customers of the high quality and effectiveness of the vermicompost by offering a guarantee against any performance issues.

e. Customer Support Strategy

Our customer support strategy will involve seeking customer feedback. This will help us provide excellent customer service to all our clients and investors. We will work with effective CRM software to be able to achieve this. We will provide excellent customer support by promptly addressing inquiries, concerns, or issues related to the vermicompost.

Operational Plan

Our operational plan will cover detail of the day-to-day operations of the business, including the production process, distribution, staffing, and customer service.

a. What Happens During a Typical Day at a Vermicompost Business?

• The day starts with reviewing production schedules and planning the manufacturing activities for the day.
• The facility, machine, and equipment are cleaned and ready for the day’s business
• Vermicompost raw materials are arranged and ready for use
• Vermicompost and produced and packaged
• Order fulfillment
• The packed orders are shipped to customers or dispatched to distribution centers or retail stores.
• Regular maintenance and cleaning of production equipment are carried out to ensure optimal performance and minimize downtime
• Administrative duties are carried out
• The store and warehouse are restocked as required.
• The business is closed for the day.

b. Production Process

The business involves setting up a vermicomposting facility where organic waste materials are processed using earthworms. The worms consume the organic matter, breaking it down and converting it into vermicompost through their digestion process. The process typically takes a few months to produce mature vermicompost.

c. Service Procedure

Orders received from customers, distributors, or retailers are processed and prepared for shipment. The appropriate quantities of vermicompost are packed, and shipping labels and documentation are prepared.

d. The Supply Chain

The supply chain for our vermicompost business involves coordinating with suppliers of raw materials and distributors of vermicompost products. Good communication and planning are critical to managing the supply chain and ensuring that the business can meet customer demand.

e. Sources of Income

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will make money from selling a comprehensive range of vermicompost products and also from farm consulting.

Financial Plan

A. amount needed to start your vermicompost manufacturing company.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. would need an estimate of $165,000 to successfully set up our vermicompost manufacturing company in the United States of America. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of our staff for the first month of operation.

b. What are the Costs Involved?

• Business Registration Fees – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits – $1,300.
• Marketing, Branding, and Promotions – $3,000.
• Business Consultant Fee – $2,500.
• Insurance – $2,400.
• Rent/Lease – $65,000.
• Other start-up expenses include commercial satellite TV subscriptions, stationery ($500), and phone and utility deposits ($1,800).
• Operational Cost (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $30,000
• Start-up Inventory – $25,000
• Store Equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $1,750
• Furnishing and Equipping – $45,500
• Website: $600
• Opening party: $5,000
• Miscellaneous: $5,000

c. Do You Need to Build a Facility? If YES, How Much will it cost?

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will not build a new facility for our vermicompost manufacturing company; we intend to start with a long-term lease and after 8 years, we will start the process of acquiring our own facility.

d. What are the Ongoing Expenses for Running a Vermicompost Manufacturing Company?

• Raw materials.
• Labor costs
• Utilities (electricity, water, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems necessary for running the production facility)
• Equipment maintenance
• Marketing and advertising
• Rent or mortgage
• Insurance property damage, product liability, and workers’ compensation
• Administrative and overhead costs such as office supplies, software licenses, professional services (legal, accounting), permits, licenses, and other overhead costs associated with running the business.

e. What is the Average Salary of your Staff?

• Chief Executive Officer – $65,000 Per Year
• Production Manager – $47,000 Per Year
• Accountant – $38,000 Per Year
• Quality Control Officer – $38,000 Per Year
• Operators – $29,000 Per Year
• Salesgirls and Salesboys -$27,000 Per Year
• Delivery Truck Drivers -$27,000 Per Year.

f. How Do You Get Funding to Start a Vermicompost Business?

• Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
• Raising money from investors and business partners
• Sell shares to interested investors
• Applying for a loan from your bank/banks
• Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from the government, donor organizations, and angel investors
• Source for soft loans from your family members and friends.

Financial Projection

A. how much should you charge for your product/service.

On average, the price of vermicompost in the US ranges from $20 to $50 per cubic yard (or roughly $25 to $65 per ton) for bulk purchases. Smaller quantities may be available in bags or containers, and their prices can range from $5 to $20 per bag, depending on the size and weight.

b. Sales Forecast?

• First Fiscal Year (FY1): $245,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $360,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $550,000

c. Estimated Profit You Will Make a Year?

• First Fiscal Year (FY1) (Profit After Tax): $150,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2) (Profit After Tax): $210,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3) (Profit After Tax): $390,000

d. Profit Margin of a Vermicompost Manufacturing Company Product/Service

The ideal profit margin we hope to make at Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will be between 15 and 45 percent depending on the packaging size.

Growth Plan

A. how do you intend to grow and expand by opening more retail outlets/offices or selling a franchise.

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. will grow our vermicompost manufacturing company by first opening other production plants in key cities in the United States of America within the first five years of establishing the business, and then we will start selling franchises from the sixth year.

b. Where do you intend to expand to and why?

Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. plans to expand to the following cities.

• Sacramento, California
• Portland, Oregon
• Austin, Texas
• Burlington, Vermont
• Madison, Wisconsin
• Asheville, North Carolina
• Seattle, Washington
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Ithaca, New York.

We are expanding to these cities because these cities have a high demand for vermicompost products and of course, they are known for thriving farming activities.

The founder of Levi Isaac® Vermicompost Company, Inc. plans to exit the business via family succession. We have positioned structures and processes in place that will help us achieve our plan of successfully transferring the business from one family member to another and from one generation to another without difficulties.

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Vermicompost Business Plan

            The process of producing Vermicompost using Earthworms is known as Vermicomposting. In recent times, Vermicomposting has become a profitable business for Agripreneurs as well as small-scale farmers. It is very easy to start Vermicomposting business in India. Approximately a farmer can earn Rs. 25000 per month by Vermicomposting unit inn area of 5000 sq. ft. However, the initial project cost of Vermicomposting is around Rs. 1.5 – Rs. 2 lakhs. There is no need for registration in order to start Vermicomposting AgriBusiness.

            In this AgriBusiness article, we will let you know all about Vermicomposting business plan such as the project cost of Vermicomposting, project proposal of Vermicomposting, registration of the Vermicompost unit, subsidies for Vermicomposting unit, etc.

Cost of Vermicomposting unit:

            Here, we will let you know about the cost of establishing a Vermicompost unit in an area of 5000 sq.ft or 5 guntas or 0.25-acre land area.

            Therefore, it is only Rs. 115000 to start Vermicomposting unit and monthly maintainance is only Rs. 15000 in order to continue the Vermicomposting unit.

Income returns in Vermicomposting unit

            A small-scale farmer or an Agripreneur can earn around Rs. 50,000 for every two months or Rs. 25,000 per month from a Vermicomposting unit if they sell Vermicompost at a wholesale price of RS. 10/ kg Vermicompost. When they sell kilo Vermicompost for Rs. 20 per kg, they can earn around Rs. 50,000 per month excluding the maintenance cost.

Net profit from Vermicompost in one year:

Net profit = Income – Total cost

Net profit = Rs. 3,00,00 – Rs. 1,15,000

Net profit in the first-year Vermicompost is Rs. 1,85,000.

            From the second year, a Vermicompost farmer can earn Rs. 5 lakhs per annum.

            Therefore, this is all about the cost and income returns from Vermicomposting unit. For more details regarding the Vermicompost business plan, comment below.

One thought on “ Vermicompost Business Plan ”

Magandang araw po

Ako po si Ginang Editha Vitto, 60 yrs old ako po ay nahinge sa inyo ng tulong at permiso na rin na kung maare po ma patter dine ang gagawin po naming business plan para po sa aking anak na nag aral ng TESDA agriculture salamat naman po ay iyon ay nagustuhan niya. ereng vermicompost.

Uma asa po sa inyong pagtugon

MRS EDITHA S VITTO tiga bongabong oriental mindoro po kami

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• How to Start a Profitable Vermicompost Business; Check Step-by-Step Process

If you are looking for a business that can give you good profit in a short span of time then this article is for you!

Vermicompost Business has now become a profitable agribusiness model all over the world that requires a very low investment. This business, which is based on a marketing trend, is becoming more popular among local or rural entrepreneurs.

In this article, we will give complete information about the vermicompost organic fertilizer business, how to start, required materials, process, etc.  So, what are you waiting for…start this profitable agribusiness and earn good income every month.

What is Vermicompost?

Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer rich in many nutrients necessary for the soil. It is the production of the decomposition process using different kinds of worms, typically red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to produce a mixture of bedding materials, decomposing food or vegetable waste, and vermicast. This process is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose is called vermiculture.

Business Plan for Vermicompost

In comparison to garden compost, vermicompost has a larger percentage almost twice as much of both macro and micronutrients. Depending on the type of waste, earthworm population, and environmental factors, the product is ready in 45 to 60 days and there are 5 to 6 possible cycles in a year.

Raw Materials Required for Vermicompost Production

Composting typically uses a variety of degradable organic wastes. It consists of things like animal waste, kitchen waste, and farm residues. The main raw components are typically dried chopped crop wastes and animal manure, primarily cow dung. Crop residues from both leguminous and non-leguminous plants improve the vermicompost's quality.

There are many types of earthworms, including Perionyx Excavatus, Eisenia Foetida(Red earthworm), and Eudrilus Eugenia that can be used.

The red earthworm is mostly favoured because it reproduces quickly and turns organic matter into vermicompost in just 45 to 50 days. since it is a surface feeder it turns organic materials into vermicompost from the top.

Top Companies Providing Vermicompost and Vermibeds

With the increasing population in the world, crop productivity has become a major need. But, majority of agricultural practices are…

Process of Making Vermicompost

The first step is to build a tank, preferably out of cement, in an empty area of your farm or backyard. You can also make a simple pit. The fundamental procedures for making vermicompost fertiliser are listed below:

First you need to collect biodegradable agricultural waste.

Using a manually operated cutting device, cut them into small bits.

Give them 10 to 15 days to partially decompose. It will assist you in having better success with earthworm activities.

A vermicomposting unit needs to be in a shaded, cool, and moist location for preventing earthworms because earthworms cannot survive in direct sunlight.

Beds should be constructed for a partially decomposed material of size 6x2x2 feet should be preferred.

Agro-waste or kitchen waste should be placed on the top of vermicompost bed.

To make Vermicompost manure, you have to buy polythene to place on the ground. It is needed because if you leave the earthworm simply on the ground, then the earthworm will slowly go inside the ground and lay eggs there.

At the bottom of the bed, prepare a 6" layer of partially biodegradable agro-waste.

Spread 1 layer of cow dung slurry over it for 15 to 20 days to further decompose the agricultural waste.

Cover cow dung slurry with a 4" layer of farmyard manure once it has partially decomposed.

Spread red earthworm (1500–2000) on the bed's top layer.

• Water needs to be sprayed immediately after the release of worms.

Beds should be covered with gunny bags or polythene and sprinkled with water (daily) to keep them moist.

The bed should be turned once after 30 days for maintaining aeration and for proper decomposition.

The compost will get ready in 45-50 days.

Harvesting of Vermicompost

You should stop watering when the vermicompost is fully decomposed – when it will appear granular in size and black in colour.

Keep a cover over a pile of partially decomposed cow dung to allow earthworms to move from compost to the cow dung. Compost can be separated and sieved after two days for packaging and use.

Market Opportunity for Vermicompost Fertilizer

The production of vermicompost fertilizer has a good sales potential as compared to various crops related to agricultural, horticultural, ornamental, etc.

Farmers' associations and subdivisions in nearby cities and towns are examples of direct sales to customers. Marketing in bulk quantity to companies and distributors of organic fertilizer that needs vermicompost as one of its primary components.

Marketing is also best in urban areas due to the popularity of organically grown farm produce among the rich residing in posh villages and other residential areas that favour organically cultivated farm produce.

Profit in vermicompost business

It is a bit difficult to tell exactly how much profit you can get in this business without seeing who is doing the business under what circumstances. But people who are already doing vermicompost fertilizer business easily earn 30% to 70% profit.

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How to Start a Profitable Vermicompost Fertilizer Business

Vermicompost is also known as worm castings. It is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer produced through the process of composting with the help of earthworms. The popularity of using this organic fertilizer among farmers is increasing.  Hence vermicompost fertilizer business is presently a profitable venture to launch. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of launching a vermicompost business, along with addressing frequently asked questions.

An aspiring entrepreneur having knowledge of the manufacturing process can initiate a vermicompost organic fertilizer production business. The unit can be established with moderate capital investment on a small scale in their own backyard .

Vermicompost Fertilizer Production Business Plan

1. understand what is vermicompost.

Vermicompost is essentially organic manure. This type of biofertilizer is prepared by mixing up earthworms on biological and plant residues. This organically prepared fertilizer is rich in micronutrients like N, P, K, and many others that are essential for the growth of plants.

2. Raw Materials Required For Vermicompost Production

There are different species of earthworms viz. Eisenia Foetida (Red earthworm), Eudrilus Eugenia (Nightcrawler), Perionyx Excavatus, etc.

3. Location and Infrastructure Setup

4. sourcing worms and raw materials.

You will need to source worms from reputable suppliers or start your worm farm for a continuous supply. Additionally, collect organic waste materials like kitchen scraps, yard waste, and agricultural residues.

5. Vermicompost Manufacturing Process

6. harvesting process of vermicompost fertilizer production, 7. preventive measures in vermicompost fertilizer production, 8. legal and regulatory considerations.

For commercial production of vermicompost, it is advised to register your business and obtain any necessary licenses. Furthermore, ensure your vermicompost meets organic certification standards, if applicable.

9. Packaging and Distribution

A direct sale to end-users includes farmers’ groups and subdivisions in nearby cities and municipalities. You can reach out to government authorities for bulk sales.

10. Marketing and Branding

Do not forget to create a website and have your vermicompost business visible in the online space. Also, explore social media platforms and create business profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i ensure the composting process is successful, can i start a vermicompost business at home, what are the benefits of using vermicompost.

There are several benefits of using vermicompost. Some of the advantages are enriched soil with essential nutrients, improved soil structure, enhanced plant growth, and promoted soil health.

Is vermicompost safe for all plants?

Alchem Learning

How to Start a Vermicompost Business

Welcome to our guide on starting your own vermicompost business! Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly and profitable venture that involves using earthworms to decompose organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. Here’s how you can get started:

Step 1: Research and Planning

Begin by researching the vermicomposting process, understanding the types of organic waste suitable for composting, and learning about different worm species. Create a business plan outlining your goals, target market, and operational strategies.

Step 2: Location and Setup

Choose a suitable location for your vermicomposting facility. It could be a backyard, an unused area of your property, or even a small indoor space. Set up composting bins or beds using organic materials like shredded paper, cardboard, and coconut coir.

Step 3: Worm Selection

Select the appropriate worm species for your vermicomposting project. Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) are a popular choice due to their efficiency in breaking down organic matter.

Step 4: Organic Waste Collection

Collect organic waste from local sources such as households, restaurants, and markets. Educate your suppliers about the types of waste suitable for composting and provide them with designated collection containers.

Step 5: Vermicomposting Process

Introduce the organic waste to the composting bins along with the worms. Maintain the right moisture and temperature levels to facilitate decomposition. Regularly turn the compost to ensure proper aeration.

Step 6: Harvesting and Packaging

After a few months, the compost will be ready for harvesting. Separate the worms from the compost using techniques like light exposure or migration. Package the nutrient-rich vermicompost in eco-friendly bags or containers.

Step 7: Marketing and Sales

Create a brand identity for your vermicompost products. Use social media, local markets, and gardening expos to promote your products. Highlight the benefits of using organic, worm-casted compost for healthier plant growth.

Step 8: Scaling Up

As your business grows, consider expanding your vermicomposting capacity. You can collaborate with larger waste generators, garden centers, and nurseries to increase your customer base.

Starting a vermicompost business can be a rewarding endeavor both environmentally and financially. By following these steps and staying dedicated to producing high-quality compost, you can contribute to sustainable waste management and help gardeners enrich their soils naturally.

Happy Vermicomposting! 🐛🌱

Frequently asked questions (faqs) – starting a vermicompost business, 1. what is vermicomposting.

Vermicomposting is the process of using earthworms to break down organic waste materials into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to enrich soil and promote plant growth.

2. Is vermicomposting a profitable business?

Yes, vermicomposting can be a profitable business. The demand for organic compost is rising due to its benefits for sustainable agriculture and gardening practices.

3. What type of worms should I use?

The red wiggler worm (Eisenia fetida) is a popular choice for vermicomposting due to its efficient waste decomposition and reproduction rates.

4. How do I set up a vermicomposting facility?

You can set up composting bins or beds using materials like shredded paper, cardboard, and coconut coir. Create a suitable environment for worms to thrive by maintaining proper moisture and temperature levels.

5. What kind of waste can I compost?

You can compost a variety of organic waste, including kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, fruit peels, and garden waste. Avoid meat, dairy, and oily foods.

6. How long does it take to produce compost?

The composting process typically takes a few months, depending on factors such as the type of waste, worm population, and environmental conditions.

7. How do I harvest and separate the compost?

To harvest the compost, use techniques like light exposure or migration to separate worms from the compost. This allows you to collect the mature compost for packaging.

8. How can I market my vermicompost products?

You can market your products through social media, local farmers’ markets, gardening expos, and by educating customers about the benefits of using organic worm castings for their plants.

9. Can I start small and scale up?

Yes, you can start with a small vermicomposting setup and gradually scale up as your business grows. Collaborating with garden centers and nurseries can help expand your customer base.

10. What are the environmental benefits of vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting reduces the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills, contributes to soil health, conserves water, and minimizes the need for synthetic fertilizers.

We hope these FAQs have answered your questions about starting a vermicompost business! 🌱

Top businesses in the world.

Explore 20 leading international corporate websites to improve and grow your online presence. Learning from these industry leaders will provide valuable insights and strategies to elevate your site.

• 1. Apple Inc.
• 2. Amazon.com Inc.
• 3. Microsoft Corporation
• 4. Alphabet Inc. (Google)
• 5. Tesla, Inc.
• 6. Facebook, Inc.
• 7. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
• 8. Visa Inc.
• 9. JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• 10. Walmart Inc.
• 11. Alibaba Group Holding Limited
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• 15. Johnson & Johnson
• 16. Nestle S.A.
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• 18. Toyota Motor Corporation
• 19. Intel Corporation
• 20. Pfizer Inc.

References:

• How to Start a Small Business: A Step by Step Guide | Amazon Business
• How to Start Your Own Business (with Pictures) – wikiHow
• 9 Things Needed to Start a Business in 2023
• How to start and fund your own business | USAGov Lock
• How to (Realistically) Start an Online Business That (Actually) Grows | BigCommerce
• How to start a business: Step by Step
• The complete guide to starting a business | Legalzoom
• How to Start a Business – Ramsey
• 10 Steps to Starting a Business | Coursera List
• How to Start a Business in 6 Steps | Mailchimp
• How to Start a Business in 2023: A 10-Step Guide
• 70 Small Business Ideas for Anyone Who Wants to Run Their Own Business
• 5 Steps to Start Your First Business – YouTube
• How to Grow a Successful Business
• How to Start a Small Business (Step-by-Step Guide) | ADP
• How to Start a Small Business at Home: 5 Tips for Success
• 10 Key Steps to Creating a Business (2023 Guide) | Wolters Kluwer
• How to Start a Business: Steps to Start Up a Business | Square
• 10 steps to start your business | U.S. Small Business Administration Lock
• How To Start A Business: A Step by Step Guide For 2023
• How To Start A Business In 11 Easy Steps (2023 Guide) – Forbes
• How to Start a Business From Scratch in 7 Steps | The Hartford
• How to Start a Business: 13 Steps to Launch – Shopify
• How to Start a Business in 15 Steps – NerdWallet
• How to Start a Business: A Startup Guide for Entrepreneurs
• How to Start a Business in India – The Complete Guide

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Urban Worm Company

The Web's #1 Resource for Vermicomposting Information

Vermicomposting: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner and Beyond

Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Getting Started with Vermicomposting!

I aim to make this page the internet’s top resource on taking you from complete ignorance about vermicomposting to being able to :

• Understand vermicomposting and how it works
• Explain the benefits of vermicompost to plants and soil
• Set up your own worm bin to include choosing and preparing the bedding
• Understand what to feed worms, and what not to feed them
• Identify and correct common worm bin problems
• Understand the financial opportunities in the vermiculture and vermicomposting industry

What’s In This Guide?

This guide will try to make no assumptions about your prior knowledge of earthworms, microbes, composting, or vermicomposting and will attempt to explain all but the simplest terms. You will learn how vermicompost benefits plants and soil.

You’ll learn how to set up your first worm bin and how to troubleshoot problems you may have with existing worm bins.

You’ll learn the business opportunities associated with earthworms, whether it’s raising them for profit or harnessing their magic for processing organic waste. This discussion will include considerations about methods and equipment, and more.

The Basics of Vermicomposting

Why would you want to vermicompost.

You may have lots of motivations for landing on this page. Some motivations are practical while others are idealistic.

Maybe you’re motivated by the possibility of profit.

Or maybe you’ve been assigned by someone else to find ways to reduce your input to the waste stream.

Maybe you just want to learn the basics or need a refresher in vermicomposting.

Whatever your motivation, it’s a good one and I’m glad you’re here! There is no bad reason to want to learn more about vermicomposting.

But your end goals will drive how you use worms to recycle organic waste.

If you’re simply curious how all of this works, then vermicomposting in a 5-gallon bucket is sufficient. But if you are looking for an income stream or you need to process large amounts of waste from a horse farm, then your approach must be different and you are likely going to need to become versed in good ole’ hot thermophilic composting to prepare large amounts of material for your worms.

More on that later!

What is Vermicomposting?

Let’s start by defining vermicomposting and even some of the terms in the definition itself.

Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is the decomposition and humification of organic waste via an ecosystem of microbes and earthworms.

There are a couple terms in here that need explaining.

Humification – Humification is the process of creating humus , a finely divided organic matter found in soil formed as a result of plants and animal decomposition by microbes. Humus (pronounced “hew-muss” ) is mostly carbon and as it decomposes, its components like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus become usable by plants.

Microbes – Microbes are tiny animals, also called microorganisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Some microbes, like fungi, can form long chains which can be seen, but for the most part, these little creatures do their work – some functions are beneficial while others can be deadly – without us seeing them. Within the context of worm composting, microbes are necessary in the decomposition of organic matter and form the bulk of the food source for worms and other microbes.

The most common microbes you will hear about in vermicomposting are bacteria, fungi, and to a lesser extent, nematodes. The purpose of each is beyond the scope of this guide, but a great resource to learn about these little creatures is the book Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels .

Vermicomposting is not just how humans harness the power of earthworms and microbes; it is happening all the time in nature.

Worms and microorganisms are inhabiting manure piles, leaf litter, and even more compacted environments several feet below ground, consuming organic matter and ultimately turning that matter into something magical that converts the minerals locked up in that organic matter into a form that is consumable by plants.

How is Vermicomposting Different Than Composting?

While there are some similarities between the two processes, composting (also called hot composting) is a microbe-centric decomposition phenomenon with heating, cooling and curing cycles.

Decomposition begins with mesophilic microbes that thrive in temperate conditions.

These microbes then give way to thermophilic , heat-loving microbes that can raise the temperature in compost piles to temperatures well over 150 degrees F. Most of the volume loss in a compost pile occurs during this phase.

Following this heating phase is a cooling period where temperatures drop before a curing phase begins where most of the humification takes place.

This aerated static pile composting is used by advanced composting operators and by advanced vermicomposters who need to precisely manage the quality of the feedstock for their worms. Vermicomposting employs mesophilic microbes and, of course, earthworms to process organic waste.

Because we almost always want to prevent thermophilic composting from taking place (though some vermicomposters can keep their worms warm through the winter by combining hot composting with worm composting), worm compost bins are fed in thin layers of no more than 1-2 inches which allows for any heat to escape, ultimately rescinding any invitation for thermophilic microbes to join the party.

This need to keep temperatures within a range of 55-90°F in a worm composting bin means that vermicomposting is dependent upon surface area , limiting the amount of waste that can be processed in a given space unless creative solutions are found to stack bins atop one another.

Hot composting operations are not bound by this limitation. Indeed, hot composting is difficult without 3 feet of depth to form a hot core to trap heat and invite those thermophilic microbes that we normally disinvite from the worm composting party.

Vermicomposting has advantages over hot composting in that it is generally faster and there is no curing process required in order to make the end product usable for plants. Whereas compost normally needs 6 months or more before it is considered finished, usable amounts of vermicompost can be created and harvested as fast as 8 weeks.

Want to Learn More?

Read: Composting vs Vermicomposting

Read: Intro to Aerated Static Pile Composting

The Benefits of Vermicomposting

I maintain that vermicomposting is the most efficient means of recycling available to an individual homeowner.

Recycling paper, glass, plastic, and other materials requires very expensive equipment and must be done on a municipal scale in order to be cost-effective. Such centralized recycling efforts also require a robust collection process, normally with gas-guzzling trucks operated in addition to trucks already dedicated to non-recyclable trash collection.

Vermicomposting allows an individual to divert his or her household waste from the waste stream and recycle it into worm castings, on-premises.

And compostable food waste is the heaviest waste a household produces due to its high water content, making it the most carbon-intensive waste to haul.

And the millions of tons of food waste that make it to the landfill end up rotting and producing methane , a greenhouse gas that traps 30 times the heat of carbon dioxide. So by composting or vermicomposting your food waste at home, you can reduce your carbon footprint, reduce the carbon footprint of local trash collection, and greatly reduce the amount of methane gas produced in our dwindling landfills.

We haven’t even gotten to the wondrous effects of vermicompost itself. So here we go.

Effects of Vermicompost on Soil and Plants

Google Scholar has indexed 34,000 studies around vermicompost and its effects , most of which show very beneficial results on plants and soil. Scientists are still figuring out exactly how this is happening, but they’re doing a bang-up job proving that it is happening.

Soil Benefits of Vermicompost

Vermicompost aids in soil aggregation, the ability for soil particles to bind to one another and form the pore spaces necessary for retention and exchange of water and oxygen. So there is a clear water retention benefit when vermicompost is added to soil.

The carbon-heavy organic matter like humus in vermicompost is also sorely needed in our top soils which have been depleted by unsustainable farming practices. Adding this carbon back into the soils increases plant fertility, ultimately promoting photosynthesis whereby plants take in carbon dioxide, release the oxygen, and pump the carbon back into the soils where it can yet again become food for plants.

Soil rich in organic matter from compost and vermicompost also attracts earthworms which further aerate the soil and enrich the soil with their worm castings. It’s important to understand that the worms attracted to healthy soil are NOT composting worms (we will get to them later) and that worms cannot improve poor soil on their own. Rather a virtuous cycle occurs where soil with sufficient organic matter attracts earthworms who will help process decomposing plant material into more organic matter, which attracts more worms, and so on.

Plant Benefits of Vermicompost

Benefits to plants, plant growth, and yield are among the most documented effects of vermicompost. Books like Vermiculture Technology are dedicated in part to presenting the findings of academic studies, so we will just summarize them here. Vermicompost applied to plants are shown to have the following effects in varying degrees.

• Faster germination of seeds
• Faster growth in the seedling stage and beyond
• Earlier fruiting with larger fruit
• Pathogen suppression
• Pest suppression
• More effective pollination

Earthworm Basics

So now that you’re well-versed in the benefits of vermicomposting and the wonderful stuff it can do, let’s take a closer look at the earthworms who are responsible for making it happen. Earthworms are some of the world’s most indispensable creatures.

Indeed, Charles Darwin once said of worms, “Nobody and nothing can be compared with earthworms in their positive influence on the whole living Nature. They create soil and everything in it.”

But not all earthworms are good for vermicomposting. In fact, only a precious few of them as only about 7 species out of the 7000-9000 known species are suitable for vermicomposting in captivity.

Earthworms are much more diverse than we give them credit for. They can be divided into 3 classes, depending on their burrowing capacity and the resultant depths at which they operate and consume organic matter: epigeic , endogeic , and anecic

• Epigeic: These worms live and eat closest to the surface in loosely-packed environments like manure piles and the detritus on the forest floor. They do not burrow in soil. Composting worms are in the epigeic category
• Endogeic: Endogeic worms live in the first few inches of the topsoil, create horizontal burrows and tend to be of lighter color than epigeic worms.
• Anecic: These worms are the deep burrowing earthworms we typically call nightcrawlers. They come to the surface to forage for organic matter, dragging it down into burrows with can extend 6 feet or more under the surface. European and African Nightcrawlers, both composters, are still epigeic, despite the “nightcrawler” moniker.

Of the epigeic worms, the most common worms used for vermicomposting in the Northern Hemisphere are the red wiggler (eisenia fetida), European Nightcrawer (eisenia hortensis), Indian or Malaysian Blue Worm (perionyx excavates), and African Nightcrawler (eudrilus eugeniae).

Red Wiggler

In the US, the red wiggler is the most common composting worm and normally the cheapest to procure. It is also tolerant of the widest range of temperatures, making it the worm most appropriate for beginners in most situations.

The red wiggler is a dark reddish color with yellow banding leading to a yellow-tipped tail. You can typically expect 800-1000 in a pound.

This is our most popular species in our online store at the Urban Worm Company.

European Nightcrawler

The bigger cousin of the red wiggler, the “Euro” prefers slightly cooler temperatures and tends to work at slightly deeper depths as well. It reproduces more slowly, but at 300-400 worms per pound, the biomass of worm is much greater.

The Euro is a great dual purpose worm; a great composter but also fat enough to be a bait worm.

How to Start and Maintain Your Worm Bin

Choosing a bin.

Vermicomposting at home can cost you very little money. You can vermicompost in something as inexpensive and easy-to-source as a 5-gallon bucket or a plastic bin made from Sterilite or Rubbermaid.

These bins pose a few challenges though: they don’t breathe, drain excess moisture (leachate) without modification, and you have to sort the worm castings from the worms and the unfinished compost when you harvest. More on this later.

Bucket or Bin System

As mentioned above, you can vermicompost at home in a plastic bin or bucket.

The only thing to keep in mind is making sure the bin stays ventilated by either drilling holes in the top few inches of the walls of the bin, drilling holes in the cover, or using a breathable fabric or mesh as the cover for your bin. How you choose to do this is up to you!

Stacking modification

If you want to allow your DIY bin to drain excess moisture, then a good idea is to stack one bin on top of one another, ensuring that your top bin (the one where the vermicomposting is happening) has holes drilled into the bottom to allow leachate to flow from the top bin to the bottom bin).

If you are going through the hassle of DIY-ing your own worm bin, then adding this extra bin below is a great idea. Just remember to add a brick or some other form of spacer to create space for the leachate to drain into.

Plastic Stackable Systems

One of the more common worm bins on the market is an all-plastic stackable tray system called the Worm Factory 360 . The concept is that the worms begin in the bottom tray and move into richer sources of food waste above.

These bins also feature a “tap” which is designed to relieve excess moisture from the bottom of the bin. However, many users see the tap as an encouragement to produce leachate when in fact leachate is not necessarily a desirable by-product of vermicompost.

I have a few issues with stackable systems like the Worm Factory, as I believe they work far better in theory than they do in practice.

• As worms process the material in one tray, its volume will reduce. This means there will be an increasing gap between the top of the material in one tray and the bottom of the next. This may outright prevent the flow of worms from one tray to the next.
• Plastic bins do not breathe well. Couple this with the fact that most users tend to run their bins too wet, this means that the bottom of these stackable systems tend to be wet. Worms are attracted to moisture and will often stay in the lower trays where that excess moisture resides.
• If worms are constantly in the bottom tray, then you will STILL have to remove worms from your finished compost

Worm Tea vs Leachate

Leachate is simply excess moisture that has leached through your vermicompost to either the bottom of your bin or into a catch below.

Excess moisture promotes anaerobic conditions which are not conducive to healthy vermicompost, so this excess leachate is potentially harmful to your plants. Worm tea, on the other hand, is a deliberately-produced liquid by a brewing process where vermicompost is suspended in water that is currently aerated or agitated by a bubbler to oxygenate the water and create an explosion of microbial life.

To feed the microbes, additives like kelp meal or molasses are added to the mix before brewing. Note: High-sugar additives like molasses tend to produce a boom-bust cycle of bacterial populations in tea. It’s best to stick with slow-release energy sources like kelp meal.

The Urban Worm Bag

Because I thought there could be a better option for the money, I developed the Urban Worm Bag as a way to better ensure that harvests are worm-free and ready to use. The Urban Worm Bag is a fabric bag suspended from a frame that allows for top feeding and bottom harvesting.

This continuous flow allows you to harvest worm castings without disturbing the ecosystem of worms and microbes above. By starting with an initial bedding layer of 8-12 inches and periodically adding food waste and bedding in thin layers, the worms will reliably move into higher layers of organic waste, leaving their castings behind.

Roughly 4-6 months after starting your Urban Worm Bag, you will be ready to harvest, possibly even sooner if you started with existing vermicompost.

How to Buy the Urban Worm Bag

For US & Canadian customers

You can buy it from us here! We have both the Urban Worm Bag Version 2 and the virtually identical Urban Worm Bag Eco , manufactured in North America using recycled plastic bottles!

We’ll offer you some discounted items to add on after checkout.

You can also buy the Urban Worm Bag Version 2 from Amazon!

For European Customers

You can get the “Worm Bag” from Wormsystems.com or Wurmkiste.at.

For New Zealand Customers

Please see our friends at SeaCliff Organics!

If you also want to learn more about the Urban Worm Bag, I invite you to join the Urban Worm Bag Learning Group on Facebook . It’s a small, but helpful group of people!

Choosing Your Worm Bedding

Worm bedding is an unsexy, but absolutely critical factor in the initial success of your worm bin AND how it performs for you down the road.

Worm bedding is critical for maintaining moisture, a high carbon:nitrogen ratio, and the porosity in your vermicompost that will keep conditons aerobic.

You simply can’t have too much of it.

Worm bedding is a carbon-rich material which will break down very slowly over time. If you are wondering how to tell the difference, just know that if were to leave a pile of it unattended without any worry of it rotting and stinking, then you are likely talking about a material suitable for worm bedding.

Worm bedding can include paper and cardboard waste, leaves, leaf mold, coconut coir , peat moss, aged horse manure, and a commercial product called Pitt Moss.

Vermicomposting requires a higher carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) than regular composting. Whereas composting requires a 25-30:1 ratio, a great C:N for vermicomposting is 50:1 or higher requiring lots of initial bedding and ongoing additions of it along the way. The C:N ratio is a bit of a nebulous concept and knowing what it is at any given time is a challenge, if not impossible, for the beginner.

In fact, it’s probably even unnecessary to know your C:N if you understand that you should never be concerned with having too much bedding, relative to food waste. This is because bedding is also a food source for worms as it DOES break down over time. It just breaks down much more slowly than lower C:N materials like food scraps.

Excellent Options for Worm Bedding

See this article for a more in-depth look at worm bedding , but for now, you can use this as a quick reference guide for excellent worm bedding choices

• Aged horse manure
• Dead leaves and yard waste

Worm bedding, especially woodier carbon sources like wood chips, help create and keep pore space in your vermicompost to help keep it oxygenated. Bedding also absorbs excess moisture, which may otherwise flow downwards into vermicompost and displace the air in those pore spaces.

Just remember this key takeaway:

I have never seen a problem in a worm bin that was created by too much bedding!

Choosing Your Worms

Your choice of worm is going to be dictated by your location, what temperatures your worm bin will be subjected to, and whether or not you plan to use your worms for bait.

In the US and Canada, the best choice for worms solely for vermicomposting is likely to be the Red Wiggler . It is the easiest to purchase, normally the cheapest, and tolerant of the widest range of temperatures.

It’s like a Ford Taurus. Not sexy, but hardly ever a terrible choice! If you want to use worms for composting and for bait, then the European Nightcrawler is a good choice.

The larger cousin of the Red Wiggler, it prefers slightly cooler temperatures and may burrow slightly deeper in your bin. However, it is large enough to be used as bait where the Red Wiggler is not.

You can purchase worms for sale on our website.

Note: Worms that you find in the wild or in your garden are NOT likely to be suitable vermicomposting worms. Conversely, composting worms should not be thrown into your garden as they are likely unable to survive. ( Read why here! )

Other choices include the Indian Blue Worm (often confused with, and sold as, the Red Wiggler) and African Nightcrawlers.

Cheating is Encouraged in Vermicomposting

It is far easier to keep a fire going than it is to start one.

The same holds true for vermicomposting where it’s far easier to start a worm bin with existing vermicompost than it is to create one from scratch.

By buying or “stealing” some existing vermicompost from a friend, you almost guarantee success of your worm bin. My friend Bentley Christie has a thriving Canadian business where he sells a worm rich “Starter Mix” that achieves what I’m describing, chock full of worms, bedding, and unprocessed material. 

What Should You Feed Your Worms? And How Much?

Next to keeping your bedding levels high, what you choose to feed your worms (and how much!) is crucial.

With a few exceptions, any non-meat, non-dairy food waste is acceptable for worms.

Depending on the size and style of your system, citrus and onions may be acceptable in small or moderate quantities. Just like people, worms seem to have their favorite foods, although keeping everything in moderation is key. Summer to fall is a feeding extravaganza as summer melons like cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon give way to fall fruits like pumpkins. Worms go nuts for the richness and easy decomposition of these members of the curcurbit family.

While not the best practice for managing a worm bin due to excess moisture, adding large amounts of melon or pumpkin and coming back to inspect a few days later is pretty entertaining as there is a veritable orgy of eating (and probably plenty of mating) taking place.

Worms are also fans of banana peels, coffee grounds, apple cores, and assorted fruit and vegetable waste. While more industrial vermicomposting operations lean towards using manures as feedstock, food scraps are readily available to nearly all households although the lack of uniformity of texture and moisture as well as differing rates of decay make vermicomposting food waste slightly more difficult to manage. 

But if you remember that your worm bin should keep high levels of bedding relative to food waste (in other words, a high C:N), then it will tolerate most any non-meat, non-dairy food waste you throw at it.

Read: What Do Composting Worms Like to Eat?

How Much Should You Feed Your Worms?

There’s a ton of information out there about how much worms can eat.

And much of it is wrong.

I consider myself among the guilty parties who parroted the line that worm can eat 50-100% of their own weight each day. This is likely wrong.

A very experienced, well-known California-based vermicomposter estimates that his worms eat an estimated 25-33% of their own worm weight daily.

But even blindly following the advice of an experienced vermicomposter is going to get you in trouble, so please take all of the following into account.

• The ecosystem of microbes and worms in your worm bin will ultimately consume everything in your bin. This includes nitrogen-rich food and carbon-rich bedding.
• Your carbon-rich bedding like paper and cardboard is also a food.
• A new bin will process organic waste  much more slowly than an established bin will.

Ultimately, your eyes and nose should be telling you if your worms need to be fed. If the bin has a foul odor, you have likely overfed it. If there is no evidence the worms have begun processing your last feeding, then do not feed more!

For those of you who need an initial guideline, I would feed a new worm bin no more than 1/4 the initial worm weight in the first week. Reassess one week later. If the worms have appeared to process the food waste, you can choose to double the frequency of these feedings and build from there.

Should You Chop or Freeze Food Waste?

By chopping or freezing food waste, you speed up decomposition of your food waste, inducing microbes to colonize the food waste even faster. Chopping your food waste increases the available surface area while freezing waste causes expansion of the water inside the cells to expand and rupture the cell walls. While neither of these practices are necessary, they can both help you homogenize your food waste and in the case of freezing, allow you to manage the quantity of waste so you can use it when you want to.

Read: Should I Freeze Food Waste for My Worm Bin?

Maintaining Conditions in Your Worm Bin

There are 3 main measures of conditions in your worm bin: temperature, moisture, and pH.

Temperature

Worms are flesh and blood creatures like you and I, meaning they generally like the same temperatures that we enjoy. 70-80°F is ideal with 55°F and 95°F being the extremes that they can tolerate.

The farther your bin departs from the ideal, you can expect a decrease in worm reproduction and waste processing. If you live in an area where basements are common, this is likely an ideal place due to relatively constant, cool temperatures, darkness and higher levels of humidity.

Aside from keeping your worm bin in areas where the ambient temperatures are within the range above, you can do one or several of the following to manage temperatures in your worm bins.

For warmer temperatures

• If keeping your bin in the garage over the winter, try to place it next to shared wall to get at least some heat radiating from the home.
• Overfeeding your bin can help create extra heat due to microbial decomposition of the food waste. This technique is somewhat risky as it can create moisture and pest issues as well as potential overheating if actual hot composting takes place. (This is another reason to keep high levels of worm bedding as the C:N will be too high for thermophilic composting to take place.)

For cooler temperatures

• Keep your bin away from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Place the bin near a fan (or the fan near the bin) to allow airflow to pull excess heat away from the bin. Keeping the top open will allow this excess heat to be pulled away more readily.
• Adding frozen bottles of ice water to your bin will help create zones of cooler vermicompost where your worms can gather….and survive!

Caution: Adding cold water may seem like a good idea, but it can increase microbial activity which may not be desired if you are worried about high temperatures in your bin.

Tip: High levels of bedding means high levels of insulation as the pore space provides protection against extremes. Another reason to keep your bin stocked with lots of carbon-rich material!

You are likely to have a worm bin that is too wet. Re-read the previous sentence! Food waste typically has a high (80+%) water content.

So each time you feed, you are also effectively watering your bin. While this doesn’t mean you don’t have to add water, it means that your well-fed bin is also likely well-watered.

Because most people think of stackable bins when they think of worm bins, and because those worm bins have a tap, most people think their worm bin should be producing leachate.

These folks often call this worm tea, worm juice, worm wee, etc.

I’ll defer to NC State University Extension Specialist Rhonda Sherman’s moniker of “stinky mystery juice.”

The notion that a worm bin should be producing leachate is one of the biggest misconceptions that I feel a need to correct. While all leachate isn’t stinky or hazardous (some may even be beneficial!), it is NOT a desirable by-product of a well-managed worm bin. It indicates too much watering, too much feeding, or not enough bedding added relative to food added.

Excess moisture leads to several problems:

• Anaerobic conditions – As excess moisture seeps down into the vermicompost, it displaces air in the pore spaces. The microbes in the vermicompost consume the available oxygen in these pore spaces that are now occupied by the leachate, eventually producing an anaerobic, oxygen-deficient environment.
• Worms at the bottom of the bin – In normal conditions, worms should be near the top of the bin eating away at the fresher organic waste. But worms are also attracted to water and will often follow it to undesirable depths. In continuous flow systems like the Urban Worm Bag or even more industrial-grade systems like the Michigan SoilWorks CFT , this means harvests can often be full of worms when they should otherwise remain at the top of the bin.
• Difficult screening of harvests– Even without wormy harvests, wet vermicompost is difficult to screen as it will tend to snowball and form aggregates that are too large to make it through the screen. Pros will often dry their vermicomposts out to somewhere near 40% in order to screen it more effectively. Some often add water back into the screened castings to keep the environment friendly for the microbe populations.

Just saying that most worm bins are too wet isn’t enough, though. We have to know how to estimate it in the first place . 

There are two methods accessible to us that help us measure the moisture in our compost and I detail them both in this blog post .

Method 1 is extremely accurate and requires an oven, an oven-safe dish, 24 hours of time, some vermicompost and 7th-grade algebra skills.

Method 2 is less accurate but only requires your hand, a functioning nervous system, and a little vermicompost.

This handy article on estimating moisture content of compost details both methods and shows you how you can combine both to get increasingly accurate moisture readings.

When you arrive at your moisture level (as measured by a percentage), it should be in the neighborhood of 68-75%. This is lower than most food waste and higher than nearly all choices of bedding.

Makes sense, ey?

Managing pH is a distant third when it comes to the “Big 3” factors of vermicomposting. In general, vermicompost should be pH neutral to slightly acidic, though you may experience deviations into the alkaline range and still have a very healthy worm bin.

Concerns around the pH of a worm bin that has been fed acidic fruit waste like blueberries or citrus are overblown. Relative to the volume of a worm bin, the volume of acidic food waste is small.

Again, having plenty of bedding ensures that the acidity within your bin stays under control.

Other Critters in Your Bin

Your worm bin is an ecosystem, a veritable soup of worms, microbes, and both processed and unprocessed material.

This ecosystem may also include critters whose presence is actually positive from a composting standpoint. While these animals may not be a problem themselves, their presence may indicate something is off in your bin. These include mites, springtails, pot worms, roly-poly or pill bugs, ants, centipedes, and other creatures you (or your spouse or roommates) do not care to culture in your home.

Mites typically only attack worms that are suffering from other maladies, but centipedes will feast away when given the chance, so remove the centipedes by hand if you can catch the little buggers. They’re fast!

Hard-Shelled Pests and Diatomaceous Earth

One remedy for hard-shelled pests like beetles, pill bugs and other hard-shelled arthropods is one or several applications of food-grade  diatomaceous earth , a natural substance made from crushed silica derived from the fossils of tiny aquatic animals called diatoms.

The tiny jagged edges of the silica will etch the shells of these pests (without harming the worms), killing them by essentially dehydrating them! (This sounds like an awful way to die!)

So if you can’t tolerate them in your bin, diatomaceous earth is the way to go. But you have to make sure it’s food-grade! The kind of “DE” you use in swimming pool filters could kill your worms. And your DE will lose its effectiveness once it gets wet, so sprinkle it on the top only.

Troubleshooting Your Worm Bin

Maintaining a worm bin isn’t rocket science, but you can screw it up. Ask me how I know!

Thankfully, most problems have the same 2 causes: overfeeding and excessive moisture. We’ll get to the causes below, but it’s helpful to know from the beginning that controlling the food levels and moisture will fix most problems.

Often the excessive moisture is simply caused by overfeeding or neglecting to add enough dry bedding to absorb the moisture.

So this troubleshooting section isn’t going to follow the same pattern of Symptom-Problem-Remedy framework you see in other troubleshooting sections because with the exception of ants (which indicate a dry worm bin), nearly all of your worm bin problems can be solved by stopping feeding and adding dry bedding.

These symptoms of overfeeding and excess moisture are:

• Leachate from your worm bin
• The presence of fruit flies, fungus gnats

The symptoms of a dry bin are:

• sluggish worms with greatly decreased biomass

If you have a dry bin, you need to add water slowly over the course of a few days. Once compost gets too dry, it becomes  hydrophobic , and will have difficulty accepting water. So just like with someone suffering from heat shock, you don’t add water all at once. Let the bin take “small sips” of water over time.

Note: A common theme you’ve probably picked up on in this guide is the importance of keeping moisture under control and how not to overfeed or at least to keep the levels of worm bedding very high. Overfeeding and excess moisture are the cause of nearly all worm bin problems, so as a blanket statement, know that stopping feeding and adding dry bedding are likely the cure for what ails your bin.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae: Pest or Not?

Especially in warmer areas, a shocking discovery may be Black Soldier Fly Larvae, or BSFL for short.

The good news is that BSFL are ridiculously good composters , up to 75x more efficient than red wigglers. And the worms love BSFL frass, which another fancy word for poop.

The problem is that they may outcompete your worms for food and may heat up your bin with their activity.

Assuming you do NOT want these buggers in there, I would remove as many by hand as possible and await cooler temperatures when their reproduction won’t be as prolific.

Want to Learn More about Starting a Worm Bin?

Read: How to Start a Worm Bin

Harvesting Your Worm Castings

Let’s fast forward to the point where you have a nice amount of castings to harvest to use in your garden.

Your vermicompost is going to be a wondrous mixture of worms, worm castings, microbes, and unprocessed material, whether it’s bedding or food. How exactly are you going to pull this off?

Continuous flow bins like the Urban Worm Bag will normally provide worm-free, ready-to-use worm castings which is part of their appeal. But lots of folks are using buckets and Rubbermaid bins.

This “batch style” vermicomposting assumes that, at some point, you stop feeding and allow the worms to work through all of the material in the bin and then separate the worms from the castings (or vice versa). If “batch-style” best describes your situation, then one of the methods below may suit your needs.

The Light Method

Worms are repelled by light, so an easy (if tedious) method of removing vermicompost without removing worms themselves is to make one or multiple piles of vermicompost under a bright light and do the following:

• Wait for any visible worms to burrow their way back into the pile.
• Once the worms are hidden, scrape the vermicompost off the tops and sides until you encounter worms again.
• Repeat until you’re left with just a pile of worms.

Make-Shift DIY Trommel

In general terms, a trommel is a rotating mesh cylinder that lets finer castings and vermicompost through to a catch below while the worms and undigested material tumble along the length of the cylinder, eventually exiting out of the end.

DIY trommels can be made with a combination of bicycle rims, landscape mesh, lumber and other materials as found here. Rotation can be manually-powered or powered by a small motor at around 15-25 RPM. As most small motors rotate much faster than this, a series of pulleys may be required to slow the rotation from factory speed to a lower RPM.

A variable-speed motor is also an option, although it is more expensive.

You can also download the plans for a small makeshift harvester if you want finely screened castings without spending a fortune. It won’t sift a cubic yard in a day, but it will get the job done for small quantities. Expect to pay about $40-$50 in material at a hardware store in order to make this contraption.

Commercial Trommels

These things rock! Commercial harvesters, like their smaller DIY brethren are highly-effective ways to sort your compost.

Companies like JetSpeed create some very high-quality machines, but with a price tag starting at $4200 and up, they are not cheap and only suitable for operations where the volume and funding call for it.

Want to Learn More about Trommel Harvesters?

Check out this article about why these harvesters are the best for worms and worm castings

Brockwood Worm Sh*fter

This product with a funny name is essentially a vibrating table with a screen mesh at a slight pitch. Smaller than a commercial trommels, it allows worms and unprocessed material to exit the end of the machine while fine castings can make their way into buckets or trays placed below the Worm Sh*fter .

At $2800 plus shipping, this product isn’t cheap either. And it’s also very necessary to dry your castings before screening as moist castings will cling to one another and form “castings snowballs” and they make their way down the mesh surface.

In fairness, screening is always easier with dry castings, but it’s downright necessary with the Brockwood Worm Sh*fter.

Want to Learn More about Harvesting Castings?

Check out this article I wrote at Epic Gardening on how to harvest worm castings

How to Use Your Worm Castings

Applying your worm castings to your gardens can be done with direct application of the castings themselves or via production of worm tea.

Direct Application

Worm castings can be directly applied to your plants in the form of a side dressing or by substituting a percentage of it into your growing media . For direct application, a cup of vermicompost applied near the roots of most plants is sufficient. For substitution of growing media, a substitution rate of 10% captures most of the benefit of vermicomposting application as most plants do not benefit from growing in anything more than 20% vermicompost. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing.

Worm tea, unlike the leachate that seeps out of excessively-wet worm bins, is a deliberately-produced elixir for rapid application of worm castings goodness. Worm tea is produced by suspending fresh vermicompost in a bucket or tank of water that is being oxygenated or agitated by a bubbler.

As the wonders of vermicompost are as much delivered by microbes as it is the worm castings themselves, you will want some sort of slow-release energy source like alfalfa or kelp meal to get a blooming microbe population.

Quick-release sugars like blackstrap molasses will certainly produce a boom in microbes, but the boom will be followed by a rapid decline once the sugars are consumed. The brewing takes 18-36 hours and the tea must be used within just a few hours after production in order to gain the most benefit.

The worm tea should be applied with a low pressure sprayer for a foliar application or applied as a soil drench near the plant’s roots.

Urban Worm Castings – Now for Sale!

The Urban Worm Company is proud to offer worm castings on our online store. Made from pre-composted horse manure and spent brewer’s grains, our castings are produced in a Michigan SoilWorks CFT before being screened and bagged.

The prices on our site include shipping to the lower 48, but local customers in the Philadelphia area might be able to swing a better price for local pickup!

Available in 5lb, 10lb, and 40lb quantities. E-mail us to inquire about custom or bulk quantities up to 2250 lbs or even full truckloads!

Financial Opportunities in Vermiculture and Vermicomposting

I want to start with a word of caution here.

The idea of growing thousands of pounds of worms that can be sold for $20-$30 per pound can be attractive. And the idea that selling their poop of all things could be even more profitable can be downright intoxicating.

After years of watching entrepreneur-minded worm enthusiasts catch fire and then quickly flame out, I’m convinced a profitable worm business (whether selling the castings or the worms themselves) is far more difficult to pull off than most people realize. 

That’s why I created the Urban Worm U Business Course, a comprehensive video-based course detailing how to grow a vermicomposting or vermiculture business into a $1mm+ revenue business. The course has dozens of video-based lessons and will fast forward you light years ahead in terms of business knowledge.

What’s Hard About a Worm Business?

It can be labor-intensive and possibly capital-intensive too as labor-saving machines aren’t cheap. Even if you’re not in it for the money – maybe you work for a school, a municipality, or a non-profit – there are plenty of landmines to make your way around as there are plenty of ways to fail spectacularly with a large-scale operation.

There are also some significant differences in local markets which produces wide ranges in prices that you can expect to receive for a given amount of worms or worm castings.

But at the same time, if you’re enthusiastic about your future vermi-operation, you SHOULD be! All signs point to massive growth in the interest around vermiculture and vermicomposting thanks to:

• The boom in organic gardening and growing
• The legalization of cannabis in a growing number of states
• Growing climate concerns and awareness of dwindling landfill resources
• Legislation around organics recycling

None of the above are fads and none of them are going away anytime soon.

Money is – and will be! – made in the following ways.

Worm Production

It should come as no surprise that worm growers can make A LOT of money selling worms. A pound of worms with shipping in the US will sell for $30-35 per pound which is more than most varieties of premium beef! And growers who are able to churn out hundreds or thousands of pounds per week will find eager clients in the bait and vermicomposting industries as well as from reptile and chicken owners who need a source of protein for their animals.

Worm Castings Production

Lots of business owners get into vermiculture, thinking their future lies in selling the worms themselves before they realize that the  real money may be in the sales of worm castings.

As premium organic “designer” soils become more popular, the demand for worm castings increases.

And the only thing limiting these soil producers from making tons and tons of designer soil is access to worm castings. While the price for bulk worm castings varies greatly by region, $600 or more per cubic yard is a very reasonable price to expect if you want to begin a mid- to large-scale worm farm operation.

Savvy, large-scale operators like The Worm Farm in Durham, CA found that they could create these soils on-site and generate revenues in the tens of thousands of dollars……daily.

Vermicomposting Products and Service

There is going to be serious growth in not only the production of castings and the worms themselves, but in products and services that enable these industries. For instance, the core business of the Urban Worm Company is not worms or worm castings, but a worm bin called the Urban Worm Bag.

Worm cocoon production can earn you a nice side income and it doesn’t take nearly as much space as a large-scale worm operation. My friend Larry Shier has a course called Elite Worm Breeding where he sells a course to aspiring worm breeders to supercharge their worm production. A few of his students are bringing in an extra $2000 per month from sales of just worm cocooons!

Companies like Michigan Soilworks manufacture continuous flow digesters for mid-to-large-scale castings production while JetSpeed manufactures commercial-scale screening equipment designed for worms and worm castings.

Methods & Equipment for Mid- to Large-Scale Vermicomposting

Whether for profit or non-profit purposes, some of you may be interested in moving beyond a home worm composting system and vermicomposting waste in larger volumes.

For some of you, this is a choice as you want to earn a profit from worm castings. For others, maybe you are trying to find environmentally-responsible ways to process waste generated by your school or office. For others, government may be forcing you into dealing with organic waste as laws like AB 1826 in California are requiring an increasing number of business to recycle their organic waste.

Or maybe you just own a horse and need a way to deal with the 50lbs of manure it generates daily! Either way, you will need to understand the ways in which vermicomposting at scale differ from worm composting on a home bin level.

Different Methods of Large-Scale Vermicomposting

Beyond the home worm bin up through the world’s largest vermicomposting operations, two methods are normally employed for vermicomposting at scale: windrows and continuous flow vermicomposting systems.

Windrows are simply long, narrow piles of compost or vermicompost. In the context of regular hot composting, these windrows are turned and formed by compost turners. These can be simple attachments that fit on the power takeoff of a tractor while the largest are self-propelled monsters.

For some vermicomposting operations, these windrows may be formed by the compost turners but ultimately fed via side discharge buckets on skid steers or even modified manure spreaders. Harvesting of the castings can be done on the windrow itself by large trammel harvesters which are able to straddle the windrow. Windrows tend to be a require higher labor than other larger-scale methods, but the upfront capital costs are much lower, especially if compost-turning equipment already exists on the operation’s farm or property.

Continuous Flow Vermicomposting Systems

Commercial-scale continuous flow systems are large rigid containers with a mesh-grated bottom.

The concept, developed by researchers in the 1970s, leverages the tendency of worms to migrate upwards into richer food sources, leaving the castings below.

The castings are harvested by an electrically or hydraulically actuated blade or breaker bar that is pulled along the bottom of the bin just above the mesh, breaking the bottom layer of compost, allowing it to fall onto the floor or a conveyor above.

Continuous flow is considered to be a highly-efficient system because it does not require the worms and microbes to be disturbed in order to harvest the worm castings.

The mechanical nature of harvesting a continuous flow system makes it a low-labor event. However, capital costs are significant as the smallest industrial grade CFTs like the Michigan SoilWorks CFT start at $5,000 and go up from there. While investment in equipment like this should not be made lightly, payback periods are considered short compared to most other agricultural equipment.

The harvesting is not the only function of commercial scale vermicomposting that can be automated. Feeding, conveying, screening, bagging, and even some aspects of the precomposting process can be automated, depending on the operator’s budget.

Check out the Urban Worm Company’s Guide to Continuous Flow Vermicomposting

Isn’t the Urban Worm Bag a CFT?

Technically yes, as it employs the continuous flow concept of top feeding and bottom harvesting. And I think it is a GREAT product….for the homeowner!

While some people use Urban Worm Bags to create worm castings for sale, it is not an industrial-level solution for vermicomposting. So while the Urban Worm Bag is a continuous flow bin, if you want a true CFT, look for a Michigan SoilWorks CFT .

Precomposting Is Needed

Mid-to large-scale vermicomposting operations will almost always need to “precompost” their organic waste before introducing it to the worms.

Precomposting is simply a partial hot composting of organic waste before it is fed to the worms. This precomposting process, which interrupts the composting process near the end of the heating cycle, releases heat, kills weed seeds and pathogens, reduces volume, raises the C:N and generally stabilizes the food waste to the point where it is not at risk of heating.

To meet the standards of Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP), compost must reach 131°F for 3 days. Anyone who intends to sell their worm castings should be complying with PFRP. People like horse owners who do not intend to sell castings to the general public may not need to meet PFRP, but precomposting or even rinsing is still required in most cases as horse manure may be full of urine and weed seeds and will have a higher-than-desired C:N.

A popular form of composting is called aerated static pile composting, or ASP. With ASP,  you can accelerate the composting process  by either pushing (positive pressure) or pulling (negative pressure) air through the pile using one or a series of perforated pipes connected to a blower motor, the most common of which are used for those bounce houses you see at kids’ parties.

Simple, but slick!

Well-managed ASP systems can prepare raw organic waste for vermicomposting in roughly 3 weeks whereas traditional hot composting could take 6-9 weeks or more. Control of the amount of oxygen reaching the core of the pile can also aid in managing the feedstock to meet your timeline.

The image above is an aerated static pile composting system we installed at the Urban Worm Company, based on designs from O2 Compost.

Want to Learn More about ASP?

Check out the Urban Worm Company’s Intro to Aerated Static Pile Composting

Get to 150°F the “Easy” Way!

Curious about Calculating Carbon to Nitrogen (C:N) Ratios?

Check out the Urban Worm Company’s Compost Calculator

Extra Equipment is Often Required

Even if you have a CFT, you may find that your customers or end users expect a finely-screened product in attractive packaging. You may find that your market is enthusiastic for worm tea. So you may find yourself needing commercial trommel harvesters, conveyors, bagging equipment, and earth-moving equipment.

Check out the Urban Worm Company’s Business Resource Page for going beyond the hobby level

The Urban Worm U Business Course details the skills I built growing the Urban Worm Company to a side hustle grossing more than $1mm annually

Conclusion: Don’t Overthink Your Vermicomposting

I’ve given you a LOT to chew on here. And the last thing I want to do is overload you with information you don’t need.

There is plenty of conflicting information on the internet about vermicomposting. And it’s tough to know up from down.

Not to make matters even more confusing, but two pieces of conflicting information can both be true!

Vermicomposting involves animals and worm bins are living ecosystems, so neither the worms nor the bins always behave like we expect them to.

But if you let your eyes and nose be the guide, and simply maintain moisture, temperature and pH within acceptable ranges, your bin is almost assuredly going to be fine.

Once your worm bin is established, your margin for error is much greater and it will feel like you’ve almost got to try to screw it up. So once you succeed with keeping them alive, eating, pooping, and breeding, please know that that’s 90% of the battle!

From here, you can experiment with different methods or different foods, and possibly explore helping others or starting your own business.

I would love your feedback in the comments below. Let me know what you liked, didn’t like, or how I can make this resource the best it can be!

38 thoughts on “ Vermicomposting: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner and Beyond ”

Great information! I learned a few things that I didn’t know. Thanks for the hard work! I’m sure it took some time to get all of this together.

Many thanks Grant!

Thanks Steve great simple and easy information to guide us novices

My pleasure Paul!

Wow! As users of the UWB, we were only interested in desposing of our kitchen waste in an environmently friendly way. After reading your outstanding article, we are wondering if we should turn this into a small scale business. You gave us a lot to chew on. We’ll blame it on you if we have sleepless nights. LOL. Thank you so much for the excellent article.

Ha! Thanks Jim! Make sure to read my cautionary warning at the beginning of the business section here! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😉

Steve, I have learned much of this this through trial and error during the last 6 years of my vermicomposting. Thanks for giving me a resource to help my friends who are just starting this awesome hobby.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement Byron!

Making money as a worm farmer or vermicompost is very difficult. Many think Facebook is a magic bullet. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars to reach 30,000 supposedly gardeners and not a single sale. Got hundreds of likes and less than a hundred people actually went to my professionally designed website. I’ve tried Tractor Supply and farmers markets and found education on vermicompost is the key. Just spend months to get the word out and only sell a few bags. After 18 months, I haven’t recouped 1/10 of my investment. It’s not that I am inexperienced in running my own business, I had a successful private forensic business before retirement. Worm farming is often touted as make money with your hobby or a shoe string business. First, look at the size of the successful businesses. That should give you a hint about the shoe string. As a hobby, your friends are your customers. How much can they buy? Not trying to discourage anyone, but like any business the real question is how much can you afford to loose if it doesn’t work. When and if I break even, I will close the door like many before me. This is my present experience – yours could be different.

Hi Bob, I think your comments are very valuable! There can be a frustratingly long “grind it out” period between where you start and where you want to be. I decided early on that I was likely not going to make a run at any large-scale vermicomposting operation. That decision saved me thousands and steered me towards the Urban Worm Bag, the marketing of which is more in my wheelhouse. It’s definitely a long game, that’s for sure, but a decent side income is very possible.

If I may make a suggestion – actually two – for your own site. Make sure your address is in the footer of your website so it will appear on every page. If I Google “Buy worms (or worm castings) in Houma, LA,” or any other location-specific search, your website should pop up, but it doesn’t. This is because Google is not able to discern where your business is actually located.

Also, make sure your business is listed in Google My Business at https://www.google.com/business . This will allow your business to shown on Google Maps and appear on the sidebar in searches. This won’t be the path to riches, that’s for sure, but it WILL have an effect on the visibility of your business.

Oh, Bob Boyett… I KNOW the feeling after 22 years into my retirement project, wantet to stay busy, want to do something valuable, want to build a business–all of that! I’ve had loads of fun, gained lots of experience in a new field (retired chef), I’ve built a dedicated clientele, met so many interesting folks and learned so much from THEM too! I am the proud operator of what I bill as the World’s Smallest Mechanized, Commercial Worm Farm! I’ve work with schools (from Elementary to College), garden clubs, Master Gardener classes both on-site and off-site; I’ve gone to Earth Day celebrations, Zoo Day, Farm Day and more just to get my name and product out there! I’ll agree, there have been disappointments (when farming groups, allegedly interested in sustainability won’t give the time of day) but I’ve also met some of the leaders in the field and been able to take away a new idea and give a new look! SO.. stay with it and enjoy the ride. This is a part time venture (with a large capital outlay-I hear what you’re saying) but it comes with a supplemental income! I’ve sold thousands and thousands of pounds of worms, helped countless people get started in an activity that benefits the planet, exposed children and adults to something I think is important AND had fun doing it! I’ve sold every ton of castings produced and used the $$ to go to NC Vermiculture conference (will go again, too) where I’ve made some lifelong friends in the business and I’ve even managed to take my wife out to lunch once in a while. Well deserved for her as she calls herself a “worm widow”! Don’t be too discouraged, just yet, sounds like you are just starting out. I’ve paid for all my equipment, earn enough to help with taxes and do it on just 2 acres! Have fun.

Thanks for the encouragement!

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Thank you, Steve, for this comprehensive guide. You have answered many questions I did not know I had! I am puzzled about how to shred cardboard to use as bedding. It seems too much for a home shredder to handle. I very much like the PittMoss bedding I got when I bought my Urban Worm Bag. The worms are thriving far better then in peat moss and coir combinations. I would like to supplement PittMoss with free cardboard. Another thought is to use a rotary cutter to cut thin strips of cardboard. Should coffee grounds be composted before giving to worms? I’ve read that the making of coffee sterilizes the grounds, depleting them of nutrition. Perhaps because of the autumn temperatures, I’m getting no visible mold on grounds sitting outside. Thanks again.

Hey Nancy! So thrilled to hear you like the Urban Worm Bedding. The coffee brewing process does sterilize the coffee grounds, but only temporarily. And there is still a ton of nitrogen in them. While adding to many coffee grounds to a bin can heat it up and also dry it out, there’s probably no need to wait until the grounds are composted to add them to the bin. Cheers!

Thanks so very much for this detailed well written information! I’m starting today your urban composting system and the worm factory to find what works best for us. We are 8 room mates in a large home and produce a lot of compost every week. I also propagate a lot of plants so plan to use the worm casting to add 20% ratio to my indoor soil mix. (Coir, sand, worm castings, perlite, vermiculite) My questions:

1. If I’m screening and removing the worms myself, will this be harmful for indoor plants if I miss a few worms? I realize if using for outdoor plants a few worms leftover would be no problem but worry the worms could harm indoor plants if they remain in my mix?

2. Would night crawlers be easier to remove from soil as they are bigger? And is it ok to mix the red worms and night crawlers in the same system?

Thanks Gracie! A couple of worms mixed in with your houseplant soil will not be an issue. While nightcrawlers could be easier to remove if necessary, I don’t see that as a reason to use them over red wigglers. And no, there is nothing wrong to mix species. I also don’t think there’s a compelling reason to use more than one species either. Cheers! Steve

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When applying vermicompost in forestry plantations in restoration projects. How much needs to be applied to each plant while planting and subsequently?

Great article. Learned some insights into vermicomposting. I’m going to start vermicomposting at commercial level and will be needing your help in near future

I’m just starting out with my worm bin and would like to know if shredded cereal boxes are a suitable component for bedding in a worm bin. I had read no glossy magazines but are coloured flyers ok ? Sorry for the multi question but I don’t want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg ! Can’t wait to use my own worm castings , well may have to wait but you get the drift ..1 Thanks for your help and information , I am looking forward to hearing from you.

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Hi Steve, I’m what most would consider a beginner, I started a worm farm 2 weeks ago. I spent considerable time reading and evaluating what kind of worm bin I would be able to handle. Your website and the information I have found on it has been so valuable. I made several mistakes and your website helped me recover and I am now on my way. My little farm seems to be off to a good start. Again, thank you so very much.

Excellent information Steve.Thank you

Thanks Theresa!

Hi Steve, I was hoping to find guidance about adding bedding to my UWB when I feed my worms. I have been composting with a homemade plastic bin system for years and would dig a little trench for my kitchen scraps and moistened bedding then cover it up with material in the bin. Now, I add kitchen scraps to the surface of my worm “home” and cover that with moistened bedding. Is this the way to go or is there a better method? Thanks, Candace

I think that would be fine Candace! I also like the idea of just mixing everything together to keep things more aerobic. Otherwise, you can get some pockets of stinkier stuff that might attract fruit flies.

Finally got my UWB set up. 10 inches of Pitt Moss bedding mixed with Urban Worm Co worm castings. Ordered worms from Meme’s after chatting with her. Froze banana peels and zukes i had left over (hoping to avoid fruit flies etc). Gave them a week to acclimate and the fed them om Weds after letting food defrost. since bin is in garage, i set them up with the jute blanket and 70 temp for heat mat. Hopping for very little trouble, lol, but super excited. Watched a zillion videos and read through as many articles on this site as i possible could to be prepared. Hoping for alot of success come springtime. My garden needs alot of help in 2023.

So can a bin thats too moist and/anerobic be fixed with adding more carbon bedding what kinds should i add i have lots leave partially shredded wood chips cardboard paper recycle. Or do i have to extract worms and start over. The worst of my two i dumped and put leaves over to start compost pile and added perodic food over winter.do not knkw if they survived yet. I have one more tote bin that has started to go too moist or smell. How much coffee grains are too much for worm bins

Hello. It will depend on how anaerobic the material has gotten. If all of the material is sopping wet with a foul odor, it may be best to begin with mostly fresh material. Otherwise you would want to add some type of brown/ carbonaceous material that will soak up water better i.e. shredded corrugated, paper, coco coir, or peat moss. Coffee grounds should be kept to a minimum, just a sprinkling in a bin.

Would stacking 5 gallon bucket or totes for level composting work with holes in center bucket to allow travelup. If worm bin is tote is it required and unavoidable that u must have a drain. What kind drain is suggested for the yellow lid/ black totes from costco. Does churning bins and adding carbon work vs draining

It will be best to use long (horizontally), shallow bins for stackable flow through bins. It’s good to have drain holes as water in the bin will naturally drop due to gravity. You can just drill small holes all across the bottom of the tote.

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Vermicomposting for Businesses, Farms, Institutions & Municipalities

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Businesses that generate food waste include restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, food processors, nursing homes, wholesale food outlets and farmers markets, shopping malls, resorts, and offices with dining facilities. U.S. businesses generate 25 million tons food scraps, unrecyclable paper, and cardboard annually (EPA 1999). At least 74% of restaurant waste is food and paper (EPA 1999).

Institutions generating food waste include hospitals, schools, universities, prisons, military bases, long-term care facilities, and government centers. The U.S. EPA estimated in 2006 that 35-45% of the waste generated in the United States was by schools, businesses and institutions.

Farms are vermicomposting manure and crop residuals. Farmers are choosing to vermicompost for several reasons. Some need an environmentally-beneficial alternative for manure management. Others want to produce vermicompost to increase their crop yields and reduce their use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. And some farmers choose vermicomposting to increase their income from sales of earthworms or vermicompost.

Municipalities can vermicompost food residuals, yard debris, or sewage sludge. They can operate vermicompost facilities on their own or contract with a private entity. For example, a private business used to contract with two municipalities in Pennsylvania to vermicompost their sewage sludge.

One factor of feedstock throughput in vermiculture is based upon the number of earthworms you have. Eisenia fetida consume about 25 – 35% of their body weight per day, depending on several factors including temperature, moisture, humidity, and the pH, salinity and ammonia levels in the feedstock. The quantity of earthworms is measured in pounds; there are approximately 1,000 Eisenia fetida per pound (~500 if they are all adults; ~2,000 if they are all juveniles).

Feed the earthworms a thin layer of feedstock that is no deeper than one inch. After they have consumed all of the food, then apply another one-inch layer. Consumption rates will vary, as sometimes the earthworms may consume all of their food in one day and at other times it will take two or more days to eat the food.

Publications & Resources

• Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses focuses on helping alternative and sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs. Published by the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, the guide’s sample worksheets illustrate how real farm families set goals, determined potential markets and evaluated financing options, and helps the reader develop a detailed business plan. To preview, this publication is available online in a 277 page pdf file. See http://www.sare.org/publications. Print copy order information is also provided. Each wire-bound copy is $14 plus $3.95 s/h. Credit card and discounted volume orders may be placed by calling 802/656-0484.
• Controlling Mite Pests in Earthworm Beds  Sherman, R. and Bambara, S. 1997. NC State Extension. AGW-001. Suggests five methods for removing mites from earthworm beds.
• Cornell University’s Vermicompost Research – This site contains a lot of research papers on the effects of vermicompost on a variety of plants and the 9-minute video Vermicompost: A Living Soil Amendment.
• Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost, & Grass Clippings: Caution to Hay Producers, Livestock Owners, Farmers & Home Gardeners  Davis, J., Johnson, S.E., and Jennings, K. 2015. AG-727W. NC State Extension. 6 p. Certain herbicides can remain active in hay, straw, grass clippings, manure, and compost (very important information!).
• Large-Scale Organic Materials Composting  Sherman, R. 2020. NC State Extension. AG-593. 16 p.
• North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development
• Potential Markets for Vermiculture and Vermicomposting Operations (Rhonda Sherman, Vermicomposting News – No. 6, Feb. 2001).
• Raising Earthworms ( Eisenia fetida ) for a Commercial Enterprise  Sherman, R. 2021. NC State Extension. AG-641. 26 p. This publication discusses how to set up an earthworm-growing business. It includes information on potential markets for earthworms or vermicast, earthworm biology, and types of systems to consider.
• Small Business Development Centers in North Carolina – They give advice– for free –on how to start a business, finance a business, manage a business, research markets, write a business plan, do an industry analysis, utilize the internet, etc.
• United States Small Business Administration – They give advice– for free –on how to start a business, finance a business, manage a business, research markets, write a business plan, etc. Locate Small Business Development Centers in your state.
• Vermicomposting Gains Momentum  Rhonda Sherman, BioCycle , Oct. 2010.
• Worms for Bait or Waste Processing (Vermicomposting) (2010, Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas (ATTRA)) – This fact sheet focuses on the production of worms for the bait and vermicomposting markets

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Vermicompost Production Cost, Income, Project Report

Table of contents, process of vermicomposting, about earthworms, the preferred location for vemicomposting, water supply system, financial aspects and project report of vermicomposting business, the production cost of vermicompost , profit calculation in worm farming, profits of vemicompost production.

Introduction: Hello freinds, are you looking to set up a Vermicompost unit? would like to kow the Vermicompost Production Cost, and Income, well, we are here to help with these details. Vermicomposting is a process of Earthworms digesting the organic matter to a material that is essential for improving the growth and yield of different fields. This material is called Vermicompost which contains nutrients, plant growth hormones and helps to improve soil structure by increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil. This process is called Bio-oxidation and stabilization of the organic material, where the organic materials pass through the earthworm gut and produce the compost hence called Vermicompost.

As the earthworms plough the field making the soil fertile by releasing nutrients and other useful substances, they are popularly known as “Farmers Friends”. Vermicomposting is a profitable business as many of them in recent times are fond of organic vegetables, fruits, and other products as they are not produced by using harmful chemical substances   i.e., organic farms where they use these naturally produced composts and manures from the waste of animal and plant. These results in eco-friendly without disturbing the natural process of the environment. What are we waiting for? let us find out the production cost of Vermicompost along with net income, and profits.

By using proper species of earthworm vermicomposting can be done in compost pits. This can be organized into a production unit as the vermicompost has high demand in the market for the production of organic food products. This is a good profitable business where the costs involve less than Rs. 2.0 per Kg where the vermicompost can be sold for Rs. 4.00 to Rs. 4.50 per Kg.

This process starts with the collection of crop residues, agri-waste, vegetable waste, cow dung, few animal wastes, and all the organic waste. The pits are kept shallow to avoid heat built-up that is harmful to earthworms. Earthworms transform the material in a faster process if the temperature is maintained around 30°C. To do all these processes first we need to construct brick-lined beds containing 0.9-1.5 m width and 0.25-0.3 m height and this should be constructed inside a shed open from all the sides. For commercial purposes, the beds are prepared with 15 m length, 1.5 m width and 0.6 m height. These dimensions cannot be changed as the increase in the width affects the ease of operation and the increased height during conversion the heat will be built-up. Cow dung farm waste is placed in layers up to a height of 0.6-0.9 m and the earthworms are introduced in between the layers at a rate of 350 worms per m3 of bed volume that weighs nearly 1 Kg. The beds are maintained at about 40-50% moisture content and a temperature of 20-30°C by sprinkling water over the beds.

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In commercial-scale production, a considerable amount of Rs. 5,000 – Rs. 6,000 for every ton of vermicompost has to be invested initially on capital items. This high unit capital cost is due to the considerable expenditure on the preparation of vermi beds, sheds to provide shelter to these beds and other machinery, but these costs are incurred only once. Transportation of raw materials as they are the source of organic wastes and dung are away from the production facility and the finished product involves operational costs as they have to be marketed to far off places and get the organic wastes from the other places. Hence, these operational costs would increase based on the availability of organic waste and the transportation of finished products based on the demand. The following are the items required to set up a unit for the production of vermicompost-

There are nearly 350 species of earthworms having various food and burrowing habits.  Eiseniafetida, Eudriluseugeniae , and  Perionyx excavates  are some of the species that effectively converts the organic wastes into manure. The species which form the deep burrows throughout the deeper layers have to be considered for commercial vermicomposting. An earthworm takes 6 weeks to lay one egg capsule, 3-7 worms emerge out of each capsule and hence the worms take very little time to multiply and grow under optimum conditions in a faster manner. The worms live for about 2 years, fully grown worms can be separated and dried in an oven to prepare worm meal which is a rich source of protein of 70% which is used as animal feed.

Areas with a predominance of agriculture, suburbs of cities and peri-urban villages are ideal for the vermicomposting units for larger and commercial purpose. This is based on the availability of raw materials and marketing the finished product. These places might minimize transportation charges. These units can also be located in the areas where the fruit and vegetable, floriculture units or farms are established. Establishing these units near the dairy farms will have an added advantage to get the cheap raw material i.e., cow dung.

Components of a Vermicompost commercial unit 

These commercial units have to be developed based on the availability of cow dung locally. The basic requirements for setting up a commercial unit includes the following:

This is an essential unit for vermicomposting. This can be prepared by using roofing materials or the HDPE sheet and the poles by bamboo rafters and purlins, wooden or steel trusses and stone or RCC pillars. This is essential because to prevent the bed wetting due to rain. Space should be left around the beds for the easy movement of the laborers attending to the filling and harvesting the beds.

The beds should be 0.3-0.6 m height based on the provision of drainage of excess water. A uniform height should be maintained over the entire width to avoid low production due to the low volume of beds. The bed width should not be more than 1.5 m so that the worms can have easy access to the center of the bed and during the process of conversion the layers should be mixed up after half of the conversion so that every waste will be converted into the final product.

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Nearly half of an acre is needed to set up a commercial unit which can have 6-8 sheds for convenience. The land should have a bore well or a pump or water facility. The electrical facility is also required for setting up the vermicompost units.

Even though the worms multiply faster but it is not wise to wait till the worms get multiplied as the investment is huge on infrastructure the worms 1 Kg per m3 of bed volume is sufficient to start the unit and will be built the required population in 2-3 cycles without taking much time.

The site needs to be fencing to prevent trespass by animals or other unwanted elements this is based on the length of the periphery of the farm. The costs of fencing should be kept low as these are essential but would not affect the increase in production.

Drippers with round clock flow arrangements would be easy for a continuous supply of water. This system also saves water. The cost of these items depends upon the unit and the type of water supply chosen.

Machinery is required for cutting and shredding the raw materials into small pieces, spreading the raw material to the vermi sheds, loading, unloading, collection of composts, loosening of compost beds for aeration, air drying of compost before packing, automatic packing, etc.

Generally, it is estimated that 2-3 cycles of production in the first year and the subsequent years it is increased to 5-6 cycles with a duration of 65-70 days for each cycle. Taking various limitations and operations problems into account it is estimated that the production would be 50% in the first year and 90% in the subsequent years. Benefits include the income for the sale of compost is Rs. 3,500 per MT and the worm cost is Rs. 200 per Kg. The net income from the second year can be expected around Rs. 6,00,000 annually.

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Leveling of the land and vermicompost sheds – Rs. 7,500

Fencing and gate – Rs. 25,000.

Vermicompost beds (8) – Rs. 70,000

For organic waste – Rs. 30,000

Packaging material – Rs. 30,000

Storage costs – Rs. 20,000

Water provision – Rs.75,000

Electrical installation– Rs. 30,000

Earthworms cost – Rs. 25,000

Transportation cost – Rs. 30,000

Labor Charges – Rs. 50,000

Miscellaneous charges – Rs. 39,250

Total costs involved – Rs. 4,31,750.

Sale of vermicompost 200 empty as the production will be 60% in the first year and 90% in the subsequent years.

1 MT price is Rs. 4,500.

The sale of vermicompost 200 MT in first year = 200 x 3,500 = Rs. 7,00,000

Sale of worms = Rs. 200 per Kg = Rs. 90,000 on the overall units

Sale of worm meal = Rs. 150 per Kg = Rs. 30, 000 on the overall units

Note: These prices are mentioned for the first year but going on to the 2nd year the costs involved will be reduced and the sale prices will be increased as the production will go up to 90%.

The total income on vermicomposting = Rs. 8,20,000

Profits = Total income – Total costs involved = Rs. 8,20,000- Rs. 4,31,750 = Rs. 3,88,250 for 1st year later the profits will be increased as the production will be increased to 90%. That’s all folks about the production cost of Vermicompost and production income of vermicoposting.

Note: Care should be taken while the water supply as the excess water may cause the death of earthworms. Hard substances should not be added in the compost as this may harm the earthworms. The proper drainage system should be maintained to prevent waterlogging conditions.

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29 COMMENTS

Where is selling Vermicompost where is marketing

very informative knowledge. thank you.

Excellent information about vermi compost…

Very good projection for vermi compost startup business and full guid

any subsidy available from agriculture department to start up vermi compose commercial business .

Very good info to start business.

Excellent & very good projection for vermi compost startup business and full guid thank you.

Very good production and business. I have smoll pomegranate farm in srilanka. I am start your pproduction thanks you.

We have raw material i.e wheat straw with mushroom cultivation done , please let us know if there is requirement for raw material for vermicompost

I want raw material for vermicompost

all good, but selling is difficult, Indian farmer are not educated to use costly varmicompost.

Hi. I am Manpreet Singh from Virk Farming. The cost of Vermicompost is very less if you produce it on your own farm. If you buy online then it is costly. We also produce Vermicompost and Vermiwash which we are selling at Rs 20per Kg and If you need them in bulk then rates are very attractive. We even support providing Worms which are Rs 350 per Kg(800-900Nos). Please reply here.

I am a farmer in odisha. I am interested to join voermicompost producer . Please help me to do this.

Hi jatin please let me know of you required raw material for vermicompost we have wheat straw for the same .

For any enquiry about Eisenia fetida earthworm/ Red wrigglers U can contact

Narayan Organics

Thanks for all the information that was really helpful. I also wanted to know if its possible to take a training if the field to have a exposure.

This is a very informative write up. Thanks a lot. I am doing it in Kenya.

I am not farmer but doing kitchin gardening since many years can i officislly start vermicomosting in Gujarat

Yes Definitely you can. If you are a kitchen gardener you can use it in your garden other than inorganic manures this vermi compost is 8 times more nutrition value to your land. And your products are organic and hence have best quality and price.

Hello sir. I have a land in radhakund Mathura, I am interested in this, in the starting can I start it in open area. Can I get financial support as a loan from government of Uttar Pradesh. My contact number is 9634113665. Village name is khushipura near Mathura. Kindly Reply to me thanx.

I want 2 learn more to grow worms at home

Where to sell after production cycle completed… If the demand of vermi is not not in my city then where we have to sell?

please suggest detaile of some agencies those can help in set up I want to start I have land in distt. AgraUP

its very good I am very impressed I want to start this please provide some agency details in Agra & Mathura UP I have agriculture land there

I am looking to setup the Vermicompost plant and looking for the espert advice and guidelines. Need to know the exect budget guidelines and the required land to setup the plant and after setttingup how we can sell into the market.

Regards Brijesh

i want to start a vermicompost factory. how to start and what is the market demand. please help me.

I request any Gentleman here to throw light on marketing aspect of vermi compost. I wish to start on unit in BERHAMPUR, Odisha. Is there any training facility for these works? If so where.

there is any government scheme or the providing facility by government

hello sir, I’m a college student and I’m doing a project report on “Vermicompost” (for 5 years plan). Do you’ve depreciation calculation of your business? If you’ve, can you please share with me.

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Vermicomposting: A Leading Feasible Entrepreneurship

• First Online: 30 November 2022

Cite this chapter

• P. Kavitha 5  

Part of the book series: Microorganisms for Sustainability ((volume 39))

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Vermicomposting is the best approach of converting organic wastes into valuable compost by utilizing the earthworms. Earthworms are extraordinary at consuming almost all sorts of organic material. Its gut possesses cellulase enzyme activity, which converts waste into resourceful manure. Vermicompost acts as an efficient manure in the cultivation of crops and good protein-rich feed. Apart from this, it is economically valuable as its demand has increased rapidly, as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. Hence commercialization of vermicomposting is on the verge of tackling the demand and supply gap. Moreover, it has emerged as an enterprise among farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs in villages and rural India. Yet, commercialization of vermicomposting is not achieved due to lack of awareness among farmers regarding its economic and environmental significance. Therefore, there is need to address these issues and scale up initiatives in order to increase the revenue of vermicomposting. This study discusses its significance, mass production, and economical status thereby, by which large-scale units could be attained. In addition, the business development plan, benefit-cost ratio, and their significance gains importance to establish standard vermicomposting technology and its implementation worldwide. These units would not only promote the quality of environment but also enhance the vermicomposting entrepreneurship, especially in countries like India due to their warmer climate.

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Department of Microbiology, Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

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Natarajan Amaresan

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Kavitha, P. (2023). Vermicomposting: A Leading Feasible Entrepreneurship. In: Amaresan, N., Dharumadurai, D., Babalola, O.O. (eds) Agricultural Microbiology Based Entrepreneurship . Microorganisms for Sustainability, vol 39. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5747-5_18

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Vermicomposting: Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to create your own vermicomposting system at home.

• Columbia University
• Syracuse University

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Treehugger / Julie Bang

• Working Time: 2 - 6 hours
• Total Time: 1 week, 3 days - 3 weeks
• Yield: 2 cups of compost on average per week
• Skill Level: Beginner
• Estimated Cost: $20-200

Vermicomposting is another name for composting using worms that eat your food scraps and then excrete nitrogen-rich castings. Those castings make excellent fertilizer that you can add to potted plants, a container garden, or an in-ground garden.

Vermicomposting is a great alternative for people living in apartments, tiny houses, or any other space where you don't have access to a backyard to make a regular composting pile . You can keep a vermicomposting system going under your sink or in a cupboard—worms like darkness anyway. This type of composting is easy to do and a very kid-friendly activity.

There is variety in size and complexity of vermicomposting systems. Some that you buy have many trays and levels, while others are quite simple. To start vermicomposting, you don't need the bigger or more complex systems, which are most useful if you have a lot of food waste. For an average home with 1-4 people, a simple system as described below is a great place to start learning—you can always up your complexity later.

What Is the Difference Between Vermicomposting and Other Composting Methods?

Treehugger / Christian Yonkers

The most significant difference is that instead of relying solely on bacteria and other microorganisms to break your food scraps down, vermicomposting relies on a special type of worm.

In addition, a vermicomposting system encloses those worms in a set of buckets or boxes that fit together, so it requires some specialized equipment that you can buy or make yourself (more on that below).

While vermicomposting does require a specific set-up and worms that you'll need to buy either online or at a local garden supply store, it has the advantage of being compact and really easy once you get it going.

What About the Worms?

You can't just use any kind of worm in a vermicomposting system. While some people have reported success using earthworms, the most common are the petite redworms, also known as red wigglers.

These worms are available online and at local garden stores and they're not too expensive, about $30-$40 for a pound of worms, which is the amount most people start with. Importantly, the redworms need to be kept relatively warm but not too hot, at about 55 F to 85 F—and they need a little moisture.

These worms will reproduce quickly—every two months they'll double in number. That means you will only have to buy them once and can expand your vermicomposting system pretty easily once it gets going.

What Materials Can Be Composted?

Vermicomposting is a little different from other types of composting in terms of what materials can be processed. Because it's much smaller than a backyard composting system, you aren't going to be able to throw garden or yard waste like bags of dried leaves, branches, or other large debris into the system. Vermicomposting is more about utilizing food waste that you generate in your kitchen.

That being said, you can certainly compost some leaves or small branches that you might trim off your houseplants, but the volume needs to be quite low.

You can feed the worms fruit and vegetable scraps like potato peels, apple cores, and cooked veggies or fruits as long as they haven't been cooked with oils. Coffee grounds, tea bags , loose leaf tea, and eggshells are all also suitable. You can add some citrus fruits, but not too many as they take a lot longer to break down and the acidity may kill the worms.

Meat, bones, dairy products, or oils (even vegetable oils) can't be digested by the worms, so keep those out of your bin.

What You'll Need

Vermicompost container.

• Tank or plastic container (10-gallon size)
• Plastic bag (20-gallon size) if needed for lining
• Digital scale
• 3 cups potting soil
• 50 pages newspaper (black and white only)
• 3 tablespoons water (or more)
• 1 pound redworms

Instructions

Choose a space.

If you are vermicomposting, it is likely you have limited space. First, think about location—ideally, you want your system close to the kitchen where you produce your food scraps (aka worm food). A closet or pantry area in your kitchen could work, but perhaps a large drawer or under-sink area would have enough room.

Measure Your Space

Once you have chosen your space, take a careful measurement of the height, depth, and width of the area you have. You'll need room for at least 10 gallons of volume , or something equivalent to 16" x 24" x 8." Remember to take into consideration if a door or drawer closes over the area, as that could take some 1/2 inches away from your space.

Make Your Vermicomposting System

If you are ordering a vermicomposting system online, you just need to choose one based on the limitations you may have in terms of size and budget. Different systems can run between $150 to $300 or more.

You can also make a vermicomposting system pretty easily using some simple plastic containers, a glass container (like an old fish tank), or even a wooden box (like an old drawer). If using wood, you'll need to line it in plastic (a thick garbage bag or old shower curtain liner can work).

Order Your Worms

Once you have the space organized and you've chosen or made your vermicomposting system, it's time to order your worms. Some online systems come with starter worms, so double-check so you don't end up with too many worms. Start with 1 pound of redworms.

Start Saving Up Food Scraps

You'll want to have something to feed your worms as soon as they are set up in your system, so a few days before they arrive, start collecting your compost. Refer to the section at the top of the page for more details on what they can and cannot eat.

Set Your Vermicomposting System Up

The day before the worms arrive: Use the newspaper you've collected to create a bedding for your worms inside your containers.

Tear about 50 pages of newspaper into 1/2" to 1" strips and add water until it's very damp—but not dripping (like a damp sponge.)

Your bin should be about 3/4 full of the damp newspaper, and it should be fluffy, not packed down.

Add 2-3 cups of soil (potting soil or soil from outside) to your bin, sprinkling it over the damp newspaper so it is evenly distributed. The soil contains beneficial microorganisms and grit that help the worms digest their compost food.

Add Your Worms

Once your worms' home is all prepared, weigh or measure the volume of your worms and write it down. Then, add your worms to the box or container. No need to add more newspaper—they will make their own way under the newspaper layers. (Make sure it's still damp since the worms breathe through their skin and they need moisture for that process).

Feed the Worms

You should add compost to feed your worms at least once a week. They can go as long as two weeks without fresh food if you are traveling, but that shouldn't be until they are well-established.

Measure the compost first— worms need about 2:1 ratio of worms to food . That means if you have 1 pound of worms, they can eat 3.5 pounds of compost a week. That's about what 1-2 people will generate in a week, but of course, that depends on your household. Once your system is going you won't have to measure every time, but while you are learning, try to stick to the 2:1 ratio.

When you feed your worms, make sure the compost is broken or cut into small pieces. Open the top of your bin, and remove the bedding that's on top of the worms or push it to one side, add compost, then cover it with the bedding. Use a different location to add compost each time, rotating around the container. You will notice younger worms will gravitate to certain foods, while older worms will like others. Noticing who likes to eat what is a fun part of vermicomposting and something kids can keep track of.

Especially at the beginning, you'll need to monitor how much compost the worms are making and if they are getting enough food and moisture.

Maintain Your Vermicomposting System

Worms don't like to be disturbed too much and like their quiet, dark space to do their work. So when you open the box to add compost, that's also a good time to check that the bedding is remaining damp enough. Keep a spray bottle nearby to quickly and easily wet down the newspaper when necessary.

This is also a good time to fluff the newspaper to ensure that plenty of air is getting into the system. You don't want the bedding to get flattened down, as it's there to provide cover, moisture, and help circulate air above the composting food and the worms eating it.

If your worms reproduce over time, they are getting enough food. Their numbers will decrease if they are not getting enough. You can tell if worms are sick or dead by shining a bright light into their box. Healthy worms will move away from the light. If they stay on the surface after a few minutes, they are unhealthy or deceased and should be removed.

Change the Bedding and Harvest Castings

You can harvest castings and vermicompost as soon as you see it at the bottom of your container, which could be as fast as 7-10 days or take up to a couple of months. Some people will wait until they change the bedding. Some of the bedding itself will compost over time, but some of it will turn brown and tend to get packed down. It will need to be replaced every 4-6 months. To do this, put a sheet of plastic out and dump the contents of your worm box onto it.

Shine a light (or do this in front of a window), and the worms will tend to bundle together in the castings and whatever compost is left. Pull out the old newspaper and discard, and add new newspaper to the bin, spray it down, and add some of the soil and compost back (2-3 cups like when you initially began the bin), along with your worms. If it seems like there are many more of them than when you started, weigh them quickly and see—you might need to add more compost if your worm population has doubled.

Harvest the castings, your compost reward, and keep it in a bag or bucket, or use it right away.

Use Your Compost

Vermicompost should be added to soil or potting soil at about 10% vermicompost to 90% soil. Simply mix it into your soil when you are repotting plants, or sprinkle it into the soil and water it in if you have a container or in-ground garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to use newspaper as bedding?

No, you can use dry leaves from your back yard, torn-up cardboard, paper bags, or a combination of all the above. All materials should be shredded and kept damp as the newspaper would be.

Do the worms sting or bite?

No, redworms don't have teeth or any way to sting or bite. Their mouth ingests food and it gets ground up in their gizzard (a type of modified stomach).

Can you do vermicomposting outdoors like on a balcony or in a garage?

Yes, you can, but only when temperatures are warmer than 40 F and don't go over 80 F. Worms definitely need to be in a shady spot and out of any direct sun.

" Vermicomposting for Beginners ." Rodale Institute .

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